ZANESVILLE – She was, and still is, an athlete who took a bit of a turn.

“I was a middle school and high school scholar-athlete,” said Katie Mainini. “I played soccer (travel soccer), basketball (AAU and high school team), tennis (high school), and ran cross country and track. I now train and run marathons. I’ve completed the Boston marathon twice and have also qualified and run the New York City and Chicago marathons, all within the same year back from 2018-2019.”

At one point Mainini dreamed of becoming a sports journalist.

“That was my aspiration heading into college,” she said. “However, by the time I neared graduation, I felt more compelled to do ‘good work’ in the non-profit realm. I felt perhaps that was a little far-fetched, but I really did love the thought of helping people.”

Today, Mainini is executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Zanesville.

“With the program models we have in place,” she said, “we can make a difference in the lives of youth here in the community, one mentoring relationship at a time. I feel I’m in a position to make this happen. I’m passionate and motivated to continue to serve as many children as we possibly can.”

Mainini grew up in Canton, graduated from Canton Central Catholic in 1999, then Miami University (OH) in 2003 with a double major in journalism and communications.

“As a younger grade-schooler, I was actually quiet and shy,” she recalled. “Since middle school, I guess I would describe myself as somewhat of an ‘achiever’ in the sense I enjoyed the challenge and pursuit of meeting, then exceeding, the goal. I enjoyed anything that was competitive in nature.”

After college graduation, she worked a few years in Lexington, KY then moved to Zanesville in 2006. She taught fitness classes for a time, transitioned to the United Way for several years, then Muskingum University to help with their student scholarship fund.

Then in September of 2020, Mainini learned the former director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Zanesville was planning to retire. She applied, and two months later she became executive director of the organization.

“Katie has been a driving force in the community for so much positive change,” assessed Becky Clawson, executive director of the Carr Center. “She is a positive influence and will have a wonderful affect for years to come. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a wonderful organization, and her leadership has continued the high standards of community impact there.”

“I’m very motivated to do this work,” Mainini responded. “I was fortunate to have a good childhood, and I know some kids don’t have the same experience and face many challenges, especially nowadays. On the flip side, I’ve experienced somewhat of a challenging adulthood, so I understand and can relate to the challenges families and their children face each and every day.”

“I never dreamt I would have this position,” she concluded, “but I definitely feel like all the experiences I had in my previous positions led me to this job.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Zanesville is located at 4 N. 7th St. in Zanesville. For more information, call 740-453-7300 or log on www.bbbsz.org.