A Tale of Two Buildings: Katie Kurtagh’s Leadership Beyond Luxury
Whitney House, 4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1904. Future home of the Visiting Nurse of Metropolitan Detroit
This 1905 photo of the Whitney Mansion (in all its Gilded Age glory) brought back memories. The Whitney also housed the Visiting Nurse Association of Metro Detroit. What’s not shown is the unassuming carriage house behind it—the Alger Center. Both buildings represent one of the most memorable chapters in my life, thanks to an unforgettable boss: Katie Kurtagh.
As Director of Education for the VNA, Katie turned down a lavish office in the mansion. Instead, she made her headquarters in the rickety, roof-leaking, critter-infested Alger Center—a former livery stable replete with horse troughs.
Katie’s choice to eschew palatial surroundings mirrored the VNA’s mission to serve the community with genuine sincerity and unpretentiousness. Her journey, inspired by her time at the Henry Street Settlement House (NYC) was about aiding those in need.
Katie’s resolve was clear in more than just her educational initiatives. She confronted challenges head-on, whether dealing with higher-ups or operational issues. She even certified clients’ pets as dependents so those companions could receive benefits, too.
Faced with a persistent water bug infestation that was being blown off by maintenance, Katie and I walked into the head of maintenance’s office, opened a mason jar filled with water bug carcasses (she’d been collecting them for a month), and deposited them on his desk. She smiled and said, “Mr. Obenfield! Here is your evidence. Now get rid of them!”
Whether facing bugs or bureaucrats, Katie was outrageous as she was fearless—what a role model!
A group of Visiting Nurses in Detroit before the move to the Whitney
Mom and Tots Neighborhood Center
Also, while living in Detroit, I worked as a music teacher at Mom and Tots Neighborhood Center, which was founded by another visiting nurse, Nancy Milio.
Milio wrote a book about its founding 9226 Kercheval: The Storefront that Did Not Burn. The “burn” part of the title refers to the fact that this was one of the buildings that was spared during the 19687 Detroit riot.
