This story first appeared in the 2023 Annual Update >
The Galvin Family Demonstrates Their Commitment to Community
From their ancestral arrival in the United States during the Irish potato famine to today, Mary and Bob Galvin’s family story is one of visionary innovation, transformational change, and generational giving. While they originally settled in the Chicago area, the Galvins have been deeply rooted in Vail’s history since its opening season in 1962. Ever since, they have been focused on advancing the community’s future.
The Galvin family’s recent significant contribution to Vail Health’s Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (EVBH) was influenced by the five tenets the family looks for in nonprofits they support— vision, differentiation, innovation, execution, and impact—qualities they found in EVBH.
As the current steward of the family’s philanthropic endeavors in Vail, full-time resident Mike Galvin reflects on the family’s connection to the area, an integral part of their identity. “We started coming here as a family of six in the 1960s. Today, we are a family of 52, and our love for Vail spans four generations,” he explains. “While many of us spend more time here throughout the year, our family members gather over the winter holidays, drawn by our love for being together in Vail.”
Business Acumen Inspires Community Engagement
The Galvins’ approach to philanthropy mirrors the innovative spirit that propelled the success of their family business. “The Galvins like to be a part of causes that take people elsewhere,” Mike says. This value aligns with the visionary mindset of his grandfather, Paul Galvin, who established Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, eventually transforming it into Motorola.
Under the multigenerational leadership of Paul, then Bob, and later Chris Galvin, Motorola grew from the company that first commercialized the car radio into a global high-tech conglomerate, that was then the first to commercialize the walkie-talkie, two-way radio, and cellular phone, together with becoming a global leader in semiconductors, automotive electronics, and government electronics (such as developing the wireless communications device Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s used to make the first call from the Moon). The ability to identify and support human potential contributed to the business’s success, and the same philosophy guides the family’s giving. Mike adds, “As my father taught us, sometimes you have to engage in a leap of faith to innovate what is doable, even though it may not be provable at the time.”
His father, Bob Galvin, also applied this growth mindset to help the Vail community through engagement. “My Dad would visit Vail’s emerging business owners as a friend, mentor, and advisor because he wanted to see them succeed,” Mike recalls.
During Mike’s childhood, discussions about creating value and serving society were a staple at the dinner table. “My parents talked about reinvesting wealth back into the community through philanthropic support and service while finding ways to make an impact,” he remembers. “They began a consistent long-term tradition of giving back philanthropically. Medical and scientific innovation, education, and the performing arts are among their highest priorities.” This forward-thinking mentality inspired Mike’s personal financial support for EVBH in parallel with the Galvin family’s foundation support, where he sees work being done to revolutionize community-based behavioral healthcare.
“Our family was inspired when we heard that Vail Health was not only going to elevate behavioral health as its newest priority but also undertake to create and differentiate how an entire community is mobilized to achieve such improvement,” Mike says.
A Model for Philanthropic Families
The Galvin family’s philanthropy is driven by community involvement and a commitment to transformative change. Mike adds, “Our aspiration aligns with Eagle Valley Behavioral Health’s goal not only to improve behavioral health in our backyard in Eagle County but also to create a model for other communities. How great would it be if our donation was impactful here and in a broader context throughout the country?”
When Mike isn’t finding ways to give back to his community, he enjoys skiing in the winter, fly fishing, golfing, and playing pickleball in the summer, and catching live performances at Vail’s Gerald Ford Amphitheater. The Galvins continue to advance a legacy of philanthropic vision, and Mike is proud to be the family’s representative in Vail.
Our aspiration aligns with Eagle Valley Behavioral Health’s goal not only to improve behavioral health in our backyard in Eagle County but also to create a model for other communities.”Mike Galvin