For years, a small pub in Yattendon, England—a tiny town known for farming Christmas trees—was Judy Speicher's home. The pub, called "The Nut and Bolt," was owned by her parents. There, Judy grew up above the restaurant with her two siblings before venturing overseas to the United States. The company her father worked for had given him a new job alternative and he seized the opportunity. What could be an intimidating experience for a 15-year-old girl was anything but scary for Judy. Rather, she saw it as an adventure. She finished high school in Merrimack, NH, and completed her college education at the University of Maine where she received her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology. While in school her passion for volunteering emerged. She joined Chi Omega Sorority and landed a seat on the executive board. "It's where I began my life in volunteering," she said.

Today, her knack for community service is most evident in her position as president of the Newburyport Mother's Club. As the mother of three young boys, Judy found it a wonderful outlet for her and her kids. She was one of the outing coordinators for three years and was responsible for planning two to three kid-focused activities or events each month for the organization. Over time, her position evolved into a stronger leadership role. "If you had told me three years ago that I would be president of the Newburyport Mother's Club, I would have laughed and told you that you were crazy," Judy says. As president, Judy is responsible for running the monthly officer meetings, handling membership concerns, putting together the strategic plan for the club, and ensuring that all the details are being handled in the best way possible. And keep in mind—this is all on a volunteer basis.

Judy also works part-time with the Windham/Pelham New Hampshire school district. But despite her hectic volunteerism duties and career responsibilities, she ensures that her family gets the attention they deserve. With three boys under the age of ten, Judy is always running, which makes her greatest challenge the art of balancing the time between her family and her work-related responsibilities. "[It's not the] busy day-to-day maintenance of the club, but creating the balance between taking the time to volunteer for this club while making sure my family still gets my attention," she said.

The Newburyport Mother's Club is something that Judy feels privileged to be a part of. "I'm very proud of what the club does," she said. They recently donated $5,000 to the Clipper City Rail Trail project in Newburyport and each year contributes Thanksgiving gift baskets and Mother's Day baskets to local organizations that support families and mothers. The group has grown to nearly 800 members since Judy joined three years ago, and is comprised of a collection of strong and dedicated women who share one of the most important jobs in the world—parenting. Judy expressed her extreme happiness to be a part of something that extends so many hands into the community. For instance, she explained that the moms within the group provide In-A-Pinch Meals, which is a group of "Moms who make dinners for other moms who need support," Judy said. "Maybe they just had a baby or surgery. We had a member whose child was fighting cancer and the club tried to help by making meals for this family and being supportive in other small ways."

Judy's position in the club evolved over time. She saw the seat of presidency as a challenge. Always an admirer of the six presidents before her, she took the position with hopes that one day she could look back and say: "I did a great thing for this community and it has helped make me a better parent." And indeed it has. It has taught her various lessons, but one of the most important (and one that she would like to pass along to other moms) is from a Jill Churchill quote that reads, "There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one." For Judy, she sees many mothers struggling to be the best mom they can, while still maintaining what makes them unique individuals. "I think it's surprising to a lot of women how much motherhood demands from them," she said. "Admittedly it gives a lot back, but finding a balance between the two is important."

Judy has many people that she looks up to, but for different reasons. Her number one fan and her greatest role model is her husband, Todd, who inspires her to work hard and challenge herself. Kathy Ivey, a colleague and fellow speech pathologist, uplifts her in her career environment. Her parenting inspiration is her husband's Aunt Anne, whom she looks to for parenting advice and learning how to balance motherhood and her career ambitions. But the big kahuna and overall role model for Judy is Oprah Winfrey. "Everyone who knows me will laugh at this," she said. "I'm an Oprah fan. What I love about her is that she has a way of making people want to do more good—want to give back to their communities—and accept a bigger responsibility for what's going on around them. I like that. I find it contagious and it makes me want to do more, to be a better person and to make a difference."

What Judy may not realize is that she is already making a difference. Just recently she was told by a local politician that 'Newburyport Mothers Club is a force to be reckoned with.'

"That makes me smile," she says. "Although we are individually 'moms,' together, we make a difference."

For more information, contact her at nmc_information@yahoo.com or visit www.newburyportmothers.com

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