Fourteen on the 14th with Greg and Cathy Sankey

February 14, 2020

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

You know the SEC. You know its 14 member universities, their school colors, chants, and slogans. But do you know the people? The faculty? The staff? The students? The administrators? Maybe you caught a glimpse of someone on the sidelines of a game or in a campus building, and wondered, “Who’s that?” You’re curious, and you want more insight. More stories, more advice, and more favorites. Well, we have you covered.

This month we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a Valentine’s Day conversation, so we sat down with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and his wife of 31 years, Cathy, to share laughs, wisdom, and where to get their favorite sundae. Keep reading to learn more about The Sankeys in this two-part edition of “Fourteen on the 14th.”

1. How would you describe each other?

Cathy said: “Greg is a visionary, and he’s so good at helping others find the potential they didn’t know they had in themselves.” Greg’s response was more direct. “Cathy is kind. Period.”

Greg and Cathy Sankey with their daughters, Moriah (L) and Hannah (R).

2. Are you a morning or night person?

Greg said: “Morning. Whether I like it or not. I prefer to exercise then because the rest of the day goes away.” Cathy nodded and added she works out in the morning too.

3. How do you unwind?

Cathy said: “Reading! I also love to do puzzles. I’ll regularly complete a 1000-piece jigsaw.” Greg responded, “I do interviews.” Then added that he’s actually found solace in stand-up paddle boarding.

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Image Courtesy of Best Rated SUP Boards Review

4. Do you prefer e-readers or hardcopies?

Cathy said: ”Hard copies for sure! We both read so much that now we have to take multiple books on trips so we have options. Greg agreed, vehemently. Editor’s Note: We asked about the trend of cutting novels in half for portability, and the thought of destroying books was ”distressing” to Cathy.

5. What is your favorite book?

Greg said: “I have a Top Four list and among them is The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg.” Not to be outdone, Cathy said, “If I’m choosing from my Top Ten list, I have to say I’ve told the most people about Quiet by Susan Cain. It’s about introverts, and I found it to be very enlightening and empowering.”

Image Courtesy of Barnes and Noble

6. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Cathy said: “I had this trait of acting like whoever I was with in high school, and my mother said, ‘Cathy, God made you exactly who He wanted you to be. He didn’t want you to be like this person or that person, and nobody else can be you.’ ”

Greg said: “My first job had the benefit of tuition remission for a master’s degree. I’d just finished college, and I didn’t want to go to grad school. When my boss asked me when I was starting school, I told him I was going to wait a year. He said, ‘If you don’t start now, you never will.’ I started that year, and that has made all the difference.”

7. What is your favorite quote?

Greg said: Abraham Lincoln is attributed with something that has stayed with me, “I will prepare myself and perhaps my chance will come.”

Cathy said: “I don’t have a favorite, but I keep a journal, and whenever I run across something I like, I write it down. Right now, I like an A.A. Milne quote from Winnie the Pooh. ‘As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.’ It’s timely. It reminds me of Greg.”