Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Finley
Hi Teresa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a first generation American, born to Betty and Joe Dowling in Chicago, Illinois. In the 1950’s, when my mother was 19-years-old, she left Ireland with one small suitcase and travelled to Chicago to join her sister. She soon met and married my father, also an Irish immigrant. While my parents were proud to become U.S. citizens, they continued to appreciate and enjoy their Irish culture, which they passed on to their children, especially through music and dance.
From an early age, I knew my parents were from Ireland. Irish music was always playing in the house and my father listened to Irish sports on the radio. However, it wasn’t until we moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that
my heritage really began to take hold with my first Irish step dance class. Irish dance was my intro into “all things Irish” and led to a deep appreciation for traditional Irish music and dance.
When I graduated from Marquette University, I knew I did not want to leave the area as I was now teaching dance and very engaged in the Irish community – which gave me great joy. I accepted a position at UPS that, and for a time, allowed me to remain with my students and friends.
Eventually, I left Milwaukee to pursue my professional career. I often found Irish connections in the new communities that I lived in and I travelled to Ireland as frequently as I could.
I met my husband, Foster Finley, in Atlanta and we made Atlanta our home. The early years of marriage and the birth of our son Patrick were happy but challenging times! Although we were a two career couple with a child, we prioritized family and community. Fortunately, my Irish parents moved to Atlanta to spend time with their grandson and to be a major presence in our lives. Once again, the Irish music was playing in the house. I would arrive to pick up our son after work from my parents’ house and would often find my little guy at the piano with his grandad, or dancing about to an Irish jig with his grandparents. Before I knew it, Patrick wanted to play Irish fiddle like his two uncles! Our Irish heritage was taking hold in the next generation!
IrishFest Atlanta , a popular festival held each November that promotes Irish culture and the Phoenix School of Irish Arts soon followed. The joint mission of these organizations is to ignite a sustained passion for the Irish Arts through access, education, and participation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge was striving for that “life balance” that so many professionals want to achieve. Balancing activities to achieve a happy family life, develop a rewarding career, and explore personal passions requires a great deal of planning and productivity. I learned that achieving balance wasn’t as important as being “truly present.”
When our son began his musical venture and ultimately concentrated on the Irish fiddle, I chose to become more involved in the Irish community, combining time with our son and re-engaging with all things Irish. When I left UPS and replaced it with other professional endeavors, I spent more time within the Irish community, realizing there’s always opportunity to connect with the rich cultural history of Ireland and the people who come from that fascinating corner of the world.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I was the former Chief Marketing & Business Services Officer and member of the Executive Leadership Team for UPS. My roles included chief financial officer for several business units, as well as corporate controller & treasurer. Today, I serve as a board member for two public companies Union Pacific Railroad and TriMas Corporation. I also serve as a trustee on the boards of Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta. In 2013, I founded IrishFest Atlanta in 2013, a popular outdoor festival held in November that promotes Irish culture. I’m also the president of Phoenix Irish Arts of Atlanta where I co-founded an Irish arts school with my son Patrick, a two-time Irish Fiddle champion and active musician.
IrishFest Atlanta is a volunteer run festival dedicated to promoting and preserving Irish arts through education and community engagement. We secure renowned artists directly from Ireland for our evening concerts. We offer performances, teaching, and demo opportunities with over 30 local Irish musicians, dance, music and language schools. IrishFest Atlanta features the Gaelic Athletic Association; Professors of Irish History; Irish films; Irish cooking and bread making with Irish chefs and more! This year, IrishFest Atlanta will take place on the grounds of Roswell City Hall on November 7 – 9, 2025.
Phoenix School of Irish Arts ignites a sustained passion for the Irish Arts and builds an inclusive community of musicians, dancers, singers, of all ages. We do this by providing opportunities to learn traditional Irish music, songs in Irish and English, céilí, set, and sean-nós dancing, as well as other aspects of Irish culture. Curriculum is tailored for private, semi-private, and group classes for both the youth and adults. We are a school that facilitates the creation of friendships through community activities in the form of sessions, céilí dances, performance, and other events.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The skills and characteristics I developed helped me to succeed in my corporate career and personal endeavors. From corporate executive to public company director, to organizer of volunteers and even motherhood, the same traits come in handy. For me, the most important characteristics are: perseverance, efficiency, decisiveness, continuous learning, topped with a bit of passion for the mission! Critical areas of focus are getting the strategy (action plan) right, developing strong teams and succession plans, and creating a culture that is defined by a set of value statements for the team to embrace. As an example, Phoenix Irish Arts of Atlanta is guided by the following:
• Celebration of Irish culture within the community binds diverse groups together transcending differences.
• Talent will flourish in an environment that embraces inclusion and diversity.
• Integrity and excellence are at the core of all we do.
• Youth will feel pride in their contribution when treated with dignity and care.
• A way will be found to give access to individuals of varying economic means.
• Volunteers are critical to success and will thrive in an environment that ensures mutual respect and appreciation.
Success has many paths. Surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you and possess qualities that you may not have, will help show you the way!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.irishfestatlanta.org and www.phoenixirisharts.org
- Instagram: @IrishFestAtlanta; @phoenixirisharts
- Facebook: @IrishFestAtlanta; @phoenixirisharts
- Youtube: @IrishFestAtlanta1
