Meet the Board |
Lee Ritenour
After a full life of work, travel, children and grandkids, Lee has settled into Sonoma County for a fulfilling retirement. A relatively new Board member, Lee brings the experience and enthusiasm that makes WACSC leadership ever vital and strong. She recently stepped up to fill the pivotal role of Treasurer. Lee writes:
I was born in New York City and grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey. When I was 10 en route to Hawaii (by prop plane over the Pacific no less), we spent a few days in San Francisco and I knew right away that I wanted to live in California.But first – college. I graduated from George Washington University in 1968 with a degree in Political Science. The year before, I married Perry Ritenour in Lexington VA., and we were blessed with two children, Douglass and Jennifer. In 1970 Perry decided to serve his country in the army, so off the four of us went to Okinawa, where Perry was stationed, just as it reverted to Japan. While overseas we spent time in Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong. […Read more…]
Marvin Mai
After 25 years as a member, Marvin Mai joined the board in 2021. He manages the email account and the telephone messages, as well as contributing valued perspectives on WACSC projects and programs. Marvin writes:
I was born and raised in Kansas. My father managed a grocery chain store, so we moved every couple of years, then settled in Russell, Kansas. In junior high school, students were handed a beautiful full-color edition of a geography text book – and I caught the travel bug and there and then, along with an interest in international relations. In high school, two of my favorite teachers spent every summer traveling extensively and shared their tales, which added fuel to my fascination. […Read more…]
Shirley A. Ward
I was born in New York state, but lived most of my early years in Dallas, Texas. After graduating with a master’s degree from Texas Tech in Lubbock, I moved to Houston and began working in Human Resources, first at Foley’s Department Store and then at Rice University. In 1976 my husband and I moved to San Mateo, California where I worked as Director of Employment for Hughes Airwest Airlines. In 1983 I joined Bank of America in San Francisco where I worked for 15 years. My final position was as an Executive Vice President in the Corporate Human Resources division. In October 1998, when the bank merged with Nation’s Bank, I decided to retire from working, and I moved from San Francisco to Sebastopol. […Read more…]
Kerry Campbell-Price
As a Board member, Kerry brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm. She has degrees in English and Public Administration and enjoyed careers in journalism and public relations, and as an SRJC Dean of Community Education. On the Board, she fills the all-important role of Secretary. Kerry writes:
Although I’ve lived in California for more than 60 years, I was born on Cape Cod where my dad worked as a reporter for the Cape Cod Standard Times. It wasn’t long before he rejoined the Air Force and I became an “Air Force Brat,” living in the territory of Alaska (before it was a state) and in seven states before I was twelve. […Read more…]
Roger Magoulas
Roger joined the bord in 2022, and, with a background in data and analytics brings much-needed technology expertise. He writes:
I caught the travel bug early. I was born in London to American parents, while my father was serving in the Air Force. On returning to the States, my parents moved between various locations related to my father’s job with the FAA: Atlantic City, Columbus, Cleveland, Roanoke, Rochester and Oklahoma City. We eventually settled in southern Connecticut – close enough to NYC that, from age 14 on, I took the train into the city to explore its arts, music, and street scene. […Read more…]
Chris NelleChris Nelle joined our Board in 2021 and is exploring a particularly exciting program, new for WACSC: Academic World Quest, the flagship youth education program ofthe World Affairs Councils of America. It is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students, testing players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Chris writes: As the newest member of the Board, I am enjoying getting to know my fellow Board members. It appears that I am unique in that I am the only native Californian! In fact, I am a third-generation native. My paternal grandfather, born in 1892, was raised in San Francisco, and my maternal grandfather, born in 1895, was raised in Middletown. I grew up in Sacramento, went to school there, then attended UC Berkeley where I received my B.S. in Business Administration. […Read more…] |
Mike MorrisonFor 10 years Mike has been a pillar of our Board, with positions ranging from Vice President to President to Program Chair – his current job, for the second time around. Mike brings a love of world affairs, organizational skills and infectious warmth and enthusiasm to everything he does. Mike writes: As a teenager and young adult growing up in the suburbs of Seattle in the 1960s and 1970s, I was fascinated with world events, international affairs, and politics. Hoping for a career in diplomacy and the Foreign Service, I started along that academic track at the University of Washington, until I discovered an equally strong interest in the environmental movement that was just getting started. […Read more…] |
Michele ChaboudyWe were so pleased to announce in September 2021 that Michele would take on the role of President of the Board. Along with her energy, curiosity and intelligence, Michele brings a unique blend of business and academic accomplishment, management expertise and a passion for community service. She writes: I grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio, as part of a family dedicated to community service, and early on I knew that this spirit would stay with me no matter where life took me. Upon graduating from Portsmouth High School, I headed to DePauw University, where there was no question what my major would be — history. Receiving my B.A., I went on to Indiana University, earning an M.L.S., and from there turned my sights west, for an M.B.A. at Pepperdine University. […Read more…] |
Linda LambertLinda Lambert joined the Board in 2020, and is active on the Program Committee. She leads our all-important Think Tank — a committee of member-volunteers honing new strategies and opportunities, guaranteeing that WACSC stays vital. In this piece, Linda shares details of her rich and rewarding life to date. I was born in Chicago, but grew up in West Mineral, Kansas, a small coal-mining town of about 300 where my parents were from. Unfortunately, I felt like a fish out of water there, as though I’d been accidently dropped in a strange land. Perhaps this was because my mother was a liberal, flamboyant romantic who didn’t fit either. […Read more…] |
David BeckmanDavid joined the Board last year, and agreed to share aspects of his life, and what being part of WACSC means to him. David writes: I was born in Jamestown, New York, and in high school was involved in debate and student government, and elected Student Council president. Thus was born a keen interest in public life and events — how they’re shaped by people, politics and ideas. An equally strong fascination was with literature and writing. How would these two diverse interests find expression? I went to Brown University on scholarship and majored in English, determined eventually to attain “the writing life,” […Read more…] |