Mercy Hospital honors Margo Walsh with annual Forsley Award

Date: 11/02/2022

Today, Northern Light Mercy Hospital awarded Margo Walsh, founder and CEO of MaineWorks, the 2022 Forsley Award. The award was presented at a breakfast event this morning to benefit Gary’s House, which is a program of Mercy Hospital that provides a home-away-from-home for families with loved ones receiving care at greater Portland health care facilities.  

In the attached photo, from left to right, are Charlie Therrien, President of Mercy Hospital; Debra Lavoie, Executive Director of Gary’s House; Melissa Skahan, VP of Mission at Mercy Hospital; Margo Walsh, CEO of MaineWorks; and Fred Forsley, founder and president of Shipyard Brewing.

Established in 2015, the annual Forsley Award is named in honor of longtime Gary’s House champion Fred Forsley. The award recognizes a remarkable leader and advocate who works to make our community better for all with special focus on our neighbors in need. 

This year’s award celebrates Margo’s outstanding community leadership and commitment to helping others through her innovative social staffing company, MaineWorks, which supports recovery and transition into the workforce. Over the years, Margo has worked tirelessly with local employers to help build their workforce with employees who are beginning a new chapter in their lives.   

“It’s an honor for the Mercy family to recognize Margo for her extraordinary work to help support and advocate for others while partnering with employers to help address workforce challenges,” said Charlie Therrien, president of Mercy Hospital.

Before Gary’s House was established, an annual fundraising event was held at Fred Forsley’s Federal Jack’s Brew Pub in Kennebunkport. This annual fundraiser, along with support from hundreds in the community, lead to the establishment of Gary’s House in honor of Kennebunk native, Gary Pike. Since it opened in 1998, the hospitality home has helped more than 6,000 families through difficult times in their lives.