Laura Gingras, vice president of philanthropy and community relations at Monadnock Community Hospital, is the 2026 recipient of the Monadnock United Way Ken Jue Award.

Gingras, a longtime volunteer, has been with Monadnock Community Hospital since 2000 and has volunteered for the United Way almost as long, including serving as  co-campaign chair for the General Campaign during the pandemic. She said that, as someone who knew Ken Jue, she looks forward to finding out who will win the award every year, but never dreamed it would be her.

“It was such a huge surprise to me. I had absolutely no idea it was happening,” Gingras said Thursday. “I’m so grateful for all the people who put so much work into this award, all the people who collaborated to make this happen.”

The award, established in 2021, honors Jue, former CEO of Monadnock Family Services and two-time board chair of the Monadnock United Way, who died in 2022. The annual award recognizes a person or organization that exemplifies Jue’s example of commitment to community, deep collaboration, and dedication to inclusion. 

From left: Former MCH CEO Cyndee McGuire, Laura Gingras, and Jim and Ginny Dodge. Credit: COURTESY

“I knew Ken, and I knew him well. He lived and breathed the community; there was no ego about Ken,” Gingras said. “You always felt good when you were around him. He was always working for the good; he was always bringing good people together to do good things.”

Gingras says she’s deeply honored to be selected, mostly because the award recognizes the values she strives to live by. 

“I truly love people, and it is such a gift,” she said. “It just makes me happy to work with people, to meet people and to help people.” 

Gingras was completely surprised at Wednesday’s breakfast meeting and realized her colleagues, family and friends had been conspiring to create a tribute video about her, which was filmed at the Peterborough Town House in June. 

“I was at a table with Liz (Monadnock United Way President Liz LaRose) up front, and the first person in the video was Margaret Nelson, and then I saw my husband, Dave, in the video, and I thought … ‘Oh my gosh! It’s me!’ I was just overcome, and I am really looking forward to seeing the video again.”  

Joanne Fenton of Keene, who received last year’s award, presented the award to Gingras, who said she was “overwhelmed ” to realize her parents, her husband and many of her colleagues from MCH were also at the ceremony. 

Gingras said she’s been fortunate to be part of the Monadnock region community and is grateful to the many mentors she has had over the years, including Walter and Dorothy Petersen, Audrey White, Norm and Judy Mackechne, Bob Taft, Tim and Linda Renna, Margaret Nelson, Mike Shea, Ben Wheeler, and Richard Verney. She also credits Liz LaRose’s leadership at the Monadnock United Way. 

Monadnock Community Hospital Vice President of Communications Laura Gingras and Debbie Chase of Weare, at Chase’s retirement party on Monday afternoon. (Ashley Saari / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)
Monadnock Community Hospital Vice President Laura Gingras with Debbie Chase of Weare. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI/Ledger-Transcript
Laura Gingras
Laura Gingras Credit: Courtesy
Kim Chandler, left, and Laura Gingras at Rotary Club gala. Credit: Courtesy
Back row, from left: Jon Benedict, Rich Scheinblum, Dr. Dan Perli, Laurie Roseberry, Barbara McIntosh, RN, Karen Paul
Front row: Laura Gingras and Jon Gullage. Credit: MONADNOCK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL/Courtesy
Left to right: LeeAnn Clark, Carol Nelson, Sharon Smith, Deb Heckathorn, Mary Drew, Kate McPherson, Natalie Neilson, Laura Gingras, Tricia Wadleigh, Hope Driscoll, who are all members of either the Be the Change Behavioral Health Task Force or 100+ Women Who Care, and Chief Scott Guinard cut the ribbon on the department’s new drug take back box on Wednesday. (Ashley Saari / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)
From left: LeeAnn Clark, Carol Nelson, Sharon Smith, Deb Heckathorn, Mary Drew, Kate McPherson, Natalie Neilson, Laura Gingras, Tricia Wadleigh, Hope Driscoll, who are all members of either the Be the Change Behavioral Health Task Force or 100+ Women Who Care, and Chief Scott Guinard cut the ribbon on the department’s new drug take back box on Wednesday. (Ashley Saari / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript) Credit: ASHLEY SAARI/ Ledger-Transcript
Robert Taft and Laura Gingras at a Veterans Day ceremony in 2014.
Robert Taft and Laura Gingras at a Veterans Day ceremony in 2014. Credit: Courtesy
From left: Laura Gingras, Dr. Daniel Perli, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, Cynthia McGuire, Richard Scheinblum, and Barbara Macintosh at Monadnock Community Hospital. Credit: JESSECA TIMMONS/Ledger-Transcript / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

“It is a great community, and we are so lucky,” Gingras said. 

Gingras said she’s grateful MCH has enabled her to continue to volunteer with United Way. 

“I’m really lucky that the hospital, all the CEOs I have worked for, have allowed me to do things like this during the workday, because they knew how important it is for our community,” Gingras said. “A lot of people have lost the flexibility to do things during the workday that might be outside their organization. What I always say is: There will always be needs in our community, and we don’t know what those needs will be in 30 or 40 years, but United Way will know.”

Gingras says the people around her have enabled her to do the work she does, both at her job and in her volunteer efforts. 

“Huge shout out to my husband. I could not do it without his support; I could not do what I do without him. We are who we are because of the people around us. I have been around really great people all my life,” she said. “This region is my home, and  I will never leave.”

For information about Monadnock United Way, go to muw.org.