LCS Board of Directors



Lake Chapala Society Board of Directors - 2019

L to R, Rear: George Radford, Tim Boardman, Steve Balfour, Philip Newbold, Howard Feldstein
Front: Virginia (Gin) Boyle Pelzl, Mac Whyte, Carole Wolff, Sandy Britton
(Missing: Nick Hanson, Janis Sirany, Elizabeth Villaseñor Ramírez, Ben White)
President’s Welcome Message 
Thank you for visiting the web site for the Lake Chapala Society. Our mission is to advocate for the improvement of the standard of living in the community through:
  • the promotion of artistic and cultural activities;
  • to challenge and stimulate thinking;
  • facilitating regular meetings to promote friendship and camaraderie among our members and the lakeside community.
The LCS sponsors numerous activities for our members including one of the largest English libraries in Mexico, weekly foreign films, classes from Apple to Android, TED talks, as well as free medical screenings. Fun and games from bridge to scrabble to line dancing and much more are offered.

We also conduct community education programs for the Mexican community including the Children's Art program, English as a Second Language classes, the Student Aid program to help 25 young people attend university, and the Biblioteca Pública de Ajijic, a Spanish language library.

In this our 64th year we are addressing our biggest challenge to-date. Our facilities, located on a half hectare of land in central Ajijic, are reaching their limits. Our buildings, some well over 70 years of age, are beyond renovation and as our membership and community has grown the existing structures are no longer able to meet the need for classroom, meeting and presentation space.

2019 will see the Lake Chapala Society finalizing plans for rejuvenation of its campus and undertaking the necessary fund-raising to support a multi-year, multi-phase major restructuring.

Carole Wolff
president@lakechapalasociety.com


Introducing Lake Chapala Society's 2019 Board of Directors

Click the photos below for each Director's biographical details



Carole and her husband Bill have been living in the Lakeside for 8 years. Carole came from San Francisco Area and Bill from Austin, Texas.

Education:
  • Post Graduate Public Relations , DePaul University, Chicago, IL
  • Master of Arts with Distinction/Curriculum Administration, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
  • Bachelor of Arts, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL
  • University of Illinois, Springfield, Illinois
  • Gulf Park College, Gulfport, Mississippi


Background:
  • Blue Boy, Lake Bluff, IL: 20 years in Sales & Administrative in a family business.
  • Woodland Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest, IL: Director of Development & Public Relations.
  • Tao Associates, Lake Forest, IL: Director of Organizational Development in Theater, Education and the Arts for fundraising.
  • Associated Press, New York City: Office Manager and Assistant Director of the Wire.
  • Gallerist-Chicago/New York/San Francisco: 17 years as an art administrator, curator and directed over 320 exhibitions with international artists.


Skills: Focusing on developing individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations with a strong base constituency tosupport and promote their mission thru the building of relevant databases, public relations and social networking.

Member of Organizations:
  • CASE (Council for Advancement & Support of Education) attending Conferences For Fundraising in Chicago and development & promotion of a Can DoComputer Program for the Arts at the conference.
  • Independent Schools Association: Participated in conferences in Boston and Kansas City.
  • Press Club of Chicago
  • Cathedral District of Chicago
  • Public Relations Society of New York City
  • Sausalito Women’s Club, Sausalito, CA
  • Rotary Club of Ajijic: Secretary 2011-2016
    President 2016-2017
    Treasurer 2017-2018
  • Lake Chapala Society: Secretary 2014-2018

Howard has been active in the Lake Chapala community since he arrived here in 2004 from Denver, Colorado. Early in 2009 he completed a three year term as Chair of Democrats Abroad Mexico, an organization that helps American expatriates remain involved in their country's electoral process. In addition, Howard served as LCS president from 2009 to 2014 and worked on the rewriting and adoption of its current constitution. He has worked with the Lakeside Little Theater and Naked Stage as an actor, director, stage manager and a number of other support activities.

Prior to moving to Mexico, he was a small business owner in Denver and was involved in a number of community projects including FasTracks, Denver's Transit Expansion program and has been a long-time advocate. Howard has recently returned to Lakeside after spending a "sabbatical" year fulfilling a longtime dream of sailing America’s Great Loop.
With forty year career in Information Technology (IT), his skills include business requirements definition, systems design, general and project management. More specifically strategic, tactical and operational business and IT planning, business process analysis, report writing, presentations, IT requirements analysis and definition, project planning and control.

Education - BA, York University, Toronto, Computer Science.

Relevant work experience
Toronto Public Library – Project Manager – 2 years
Directed consultants, vendors and Library staff on projects to: replace an existing email system with cloud-based MSExchange for 2,400 staff manage the installation of a gigabit fiber optic network to each of 99 Library locations.

TELUS Mobility (Telecom) – Projects Manager, Business Architect – 10 years
Responsible for the definition of IT requirements for the division servicing business and government wireless clients.Defined tactical IT plans to support the division's strategic goals. Managed multiple projects in the $3 to 5 million range.

Ontario Provincial Government – 11 years
Office of the Premier and Cabinet Office.
Managed all IT services including systems development, call center and computer operations.Ministry of Government Services. Managed IT services provided to the Real Estate division (account management role).Acting director of the IT Branch.
Management Board Secretariat
Participated in the creation of government-wide policy for the management of IT in the Ontario Government.
Larry Barnhardt spent 40 years dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students through his work as an instructor, executive director, college president and university dean, all in the area of post-secondary technical education. He holds a doctorate in community college administration with minors in psychology and sociology. Since retiring in 2007, he and his wife Glorine split their time between Lakeside and a RV touring the great roads of United States and Canada. They have traveled extensively through 20 countries on five continents. Despite their travels, they have not missed a single birthday of their five grandchildren. His joys include spending time with family and friends; Tai Chi; fitness; mindfulness; writing, traveling and volunteering. In 2019, Larry chaired the LCS' Master Redevelopment Planning Taskforce that lead to the Comprehensive Long-Range Plan, known as LCS 2.0. He facilitated LCS' Board Retreat and work sessions to establish annual priorities and to begin to shift the organization to a more collaborative culture.
Carole Wolff
President
Howard Feldstein
Vice President
George Radford
Secretary
Tim Boardman
Treasurer
Larry Barnhardt
Director at Large
Christy Caldwell attended Ohio University with a degree in Speech and Theater.

Background:
1970-1980 - Lived ten years on a private resort island in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. (Palm Island Resort). Married the owner of the island's son (John Caldwell) in 1971. Owned a SCUBA shop and a boutique where I designed and made clothing. I started the first non profit day care center on a neighboring island and it is still operating today. Counseled local women on birth control and taught them to sew. Had both my sons there.
1980-1989 - Lived in North Central Florida town of Inverness (owned 2 businesses and had my own interior design studio). I also was a Florida certified Foster Parent (mainly teenagers) from 1987 to 1989. Lived in the Orlando Florida area and worked as an interior designer. Married a Jewish dentist and sang in the choir and also was the assistant cantor in the synagogue. Also acted and sang in community theater.
2009 - I went back to school to become a certified ESL (English as a Second Language teacher) I taught from 2009 to 2019.
2010-2011 - Lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 2 years.
2012- 2018 - Lived in both the east and west coasts of Florida. In 2012 I met and married an Argentine singer (cousin of Andrea Bocelli) and we formed Duo Romantico and performed "popera" and Broadway stage shows in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Europe.
2019 - Retired from teaching in April of 2019 and moved to Ajijic in May of 2019. I am a book editor and contributed my life story to an anthology of women's stories from around the world, A Mile In Our Shoes: Personal Stories of Women's Journeys.
Brian came to live in Mexico following a long business career in the United States. He was raised in Oregon and studied forestry at Oregon State University and later studied financial management at New York University. He worked many years for International Paper Company in the areas of marketing management, customer service, budgeting, IT systems applications, and product development. Following retirement he operated a small family business in Portland, Oregon. Prior to arriving in Mexico he helped manage a cattle ranch in Texarkana, Arkansas.

Education:
Oregon State University. B.S. Forest Products Management.
New York University. Graduate studies, finance and business administration.

Background:
International Paper Company. 33-year career in management & business administration.
Metal Supermarkets, Inc. A small business venture in steel and metal supply.
Turkey Creek Company. Ranching, farming, and timber management.

Skills:
Business experience; financial analysis; budgeting; customer service; market research; organizing; IT systems development; problem solving; individual contributor.

Personal:
Brian has been a lifelong bachelor and has family members living in Oregon and California in the U.S.A.
Virginia (Gin) Boyle Pelzl

My husband, Jim Pelzl and I retired, moving to Chapala and purchasing our home in Vista del Lago in 2005 and physically moving 2006.Jimmy now plays golf Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I played for six years and during that time I was very involved in in theCountry Club de Chapala and the FRACC of Vista Del Lago, and now, I play on "occasions".
THUS:

I was appointed to the Board of CCC in 2006 to fill a vacancy and was elected in 2007 and served as Secretary to that Board forfive years and two additional years as membership Chair and Social Chair.

At the same time in 2006, I was appointed to the FRACC Board to fill a vacancy and voted President of the Board in 2007. I servedon the Board for a number of years holding Chairmanships of various committees, Comisario and Alternate.

I was invited to join Rotary Club of Ajijic, A.C. 2010 and was elected Treasurer and served in that position for five years;elected President Elect 2014/2015; President 2015/2016 and continued to serve on the Board as Past President 2016/2017. I am stilla very active member with the club.

I joined Tepehua Centro Comunitario, A.C. As Treasurer to the Board in 2011 and still hold that position; I am very active in allaspects of the operations and the fundraising.

Lakeside Assistance Group, A.C. was formed in 2014 and I was elected Treasurer to the Board in January 2015 and we became an AC in 2016.I still serve as Treasurer of that organization and very active in the day to day operations and fundraising.

Prior to crossing the Rio Grande, I had a very successful thirty-three year career in the banking industry, with three banks in theHouston area: Allied Bancshares, Inc., Interest First Bank and First City Bank in 1964; starting as an intern, back to school at nightand moved up to managing a very profitable bank.

After my bank was closed I was recruited to set up a banking desk for Management Recruiters International of Houston, a headhunter companybased in New York. I spent ten years of very productive and very enjoyable years with the company.

My last professional venture in the US was the forming of K-State Financial, LLC in Pratt, Kansas. This allowed me to use my MortgageBroker License, Real Estate Broker License, Series 1 & 2 Insurance License and Series 6 and 7. I closed the LLC when we decided toretire and relocate south of the border and all the license have expired. What a great move.
Antoinette Brahm
Director at Large
Christy Caldwell
Director at Large
Brian Dalziel
Director at Large
Virginia Boyle Pelzl
Director at Large
Janis Sirany
Director at Large
 
Elizabeth Villaseñor Ramírez
Director at Large
Mac Whyte
Director at Large
Ben White
Immediate Past President
Steve Balfour
Executive Director