There’s Something About Mary
May 5, 2026
Mary Auth Retires From the CFA Judging Program
Chai Wuttivorrvattana
On Saturday, March 7, 2026, Mary Auth concluded her 35 years of service to CFA as an allbreed judge at her final show in Bloomington, Illinois, hosted by the Illini Cat Club. Following the show, in the evening, a retirement celebration was held in her honor, featuring a special appearance by President Abraham Lincoln (actor Richard Klein). More than 80 attendees offered their congratulations to Mary on her retirement. Her commitment and professional knowledge have greatly benefited the CFA community, with noteworthy impact in the Midwest region.
Is there something about Mary? Let’s find out.
Mary Auth’s interest in cats began in her childhood, where she was raised on a farm, among feral cats, in Champaign County, Illinois. She has spent most of her life in the Midwest except for a three-and-a-half-year period during which she resided in Sacramento, California (1994 to 1997). We can say she is a true Midwesterner.
Her first cat show was in Philadelphia in 1978 when she and her then-husband, Chuck Payne, drove fifteen hours to meet Bobara Pendergrast (Olde Calico), who got them started in bi-color Persians. Their cattery name was Whiteiron, and their first grand champion was a dilute calico named Whiteiron’s Nacra. In 1987, Joan Pocica (Region 6 Director at the time) suggested Mary might consider entering the CFA judging program, so she chose the Scottish Fold as her shorthair breed. Mary and Chuck got their first Scottish Fold from Donna Jean Thompson (Jeannel). He in turn sired their first national winner, GC, NW Whiteiron’s Dirty Dancing, CFA 3rd Best Kitten 1988-1989. Three years later another national win was earned with GC, NW Whiteiron’s Dance Fever, CFA 9th Best Kitten in 1991-1992.
Mary was accepted as a longhair trainee at the 1990 CFA Annual Meeting and had a perfect score on the judges’ test! Her first assignment was in March of 1991 at the Illini Cat Club show in Urbana, Illinois, with Norm Auspitz as the shorthair specialty judge opposite Mary. She also showed Abyssinian and Siamese as she continued her judging-program journey. In 1992, Mary and Chuck were divorced, and she established her own cattery name, CU-Cats. “CU” is an acronym for Champaign-Urbana: twin cities in east-central Illinois, paired by geographical location as a single economic unit, and linked to the main campus of the University of Illinois.
Unfortunately, Mary never bred another litter under the CU-Cats cattery name. When one door closes, another one opens, and in 1994 she became an approved CFA allbreed judge. Mary then adopted an energetic judging approach, interacting with the ring audience through lively conversations as she evaluated cats on the table. She has had the opportunity to judge cats in over 15 countries. Over the past decade, she also established a distinctive presence in the judge’s ring by wearing a variety of aprons and brightly colored eyeglass frames (Picture 4).
One of Mary’s most notable experiences as an “OTRA” (On the Road Again) judge took place in April 2010, when the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano disrupted international air travel. Consequently, she and Chuck Gradowski were stranded in Slovenia, Switzerland, France, and finally Germany for about a week until flights resumed. During this period, they witnessed the resilience and solidarity of the CFA community, as Mr. Reto Gfeller and Mr. Michael Hans Schleissner provided valuable assistance with transportation and accommodation arrangements, ensuring a safe return to their homes in the United States.
Mary also served as Midwest Regional Director for four years, from 2016 to 2020. During that time, she added more shows to CFA’s schedule and implemented “Feline Nines,” a loyalty program to increase show entries. This encouraged exhibitors to enter nine shows; then the Midwest region paid the entry fees for the tenth show. She also introduced a joint show with an ACFA club in Nebraska, and advocated 4-ring shows to get more exposure for CFA in smaller towns across the region. In 2017, the Midwest region hosted the CFA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet in Chicago, Illinois, and Mary took another leadership role as the Annual Chairperson.
Aside from her contributions to CFA and the Midwest region, she has also devoted her time volunteering with other organizations and has served on several boards. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for C-U Independence and Prairie Homes, Inc., based in Champaign, Illinois. It is a nonprofit organization, established in 1985, to provide affordable housing for individuals with intellectual disabilities. She also volunteers at the East Central Illinois chapter of the Human Rights Authority of the State of Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. She has been on this board for more than 12 years, and helps investigate complaints and human rights violations on the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. However, the most memorable and recognizable contribution in the past for Mary would be when she received the Clara Barton Honor Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership from the American Red Cross. This national award recognizes individuals who illustrate leadership, dedication, and significant non-monetary contributions to the organization’s humanitarian mission.
She has been vice-chair of the CFA Show Scheduling Committee since 2024 when the committee was formed. She is still working part-time as a marketing and public relations consultant for the agriculture industry.
Mary stands out as the sole remaining charter member of the Illini Cat Club, which was founded in 1984. The club held its inaugural show in Urbana, Illinois, in March 1986. Even after retiring as a CFA judge, she has committed to staying actively involved with the club. About a year ago, Gary and I chose to join the Illini Cat Club after I personally had a wonderful experience working with Mary in 2024.
Leading up the 2024 CFA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet in Coralville, Iowa, and hosted by our Midwest region, Susan and Jim Charles (Chairpersons) appointed Mary Auth to be the Fundraising Chair. I had the pleasure of helping Mary with fundraising for this event, and her leadership encouraged my creativity and authenticity. She emphasized, “Don’t forget to have fun while doing it!” She did not give me orders but instead empowered me. She did not micromanage but instead observed and supported me. Collaborating with her throughout the process introduced me to innovative strategies for marketing our 2024 annual pins, raffle tickets for a gift-card basket valued at over $1,000, a mother-of-pearl jewelry set, and handmade one-of-a-kind quilts. Additionally, this experience allowed me to connect with positive, like-minded individuals from various regions (Picture 5).
Additionally, I had the opportunity to speak with other members from the Midwest region who have been part of this community for a longer period than myself, and they unanimously agreed that Mary consistently exhibits strong leadership abilities. She inspires her team to excel, and while she can be outspoken, it comes across as honesty – and ultimately, she consistently delivers results: “Get It Done!” I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with her again in the future. I asked each person interviewed to describe Mary using only one word, and here are their replies: approachable, bold, dependable, devotion, empathy, extraordinary, frank, fun, helpful, initiative, integrity, intelligent, knowledgeable, leadership, listener, passionate, reliable, selfless, sociable, spontaneous, straight-shooter, supportive, and tenacious.
Absolutely, there IS something about Mary.
We appreciate your valuable contributions to CFA, and especially your dedication to the Midwest region.
Congratulations on your retirement, Mary Auth!