FAUSA Highlights Magazine Updated

F A U S A A N N U A L J O U R N A L 2 0 2 2 

FAUSA 

Highlights 

Magazine 

W W W . F A U S A . O R G

FROM THE EDITOR 

In This Issue 

NICOLE GRILLO 

EDITOR 

FAUSA is the social and philanthropic network for 

former FAWCO club members and others 

repatriating to the United States and Canada. 

Repatriating can often be a difficult transition as we 

uproot ourselves, and our families, to start life back 

'home' once again. 

Now that we are through the worst of Covid and 

lockdowns look like part of our past, we have seen an 

opening up of activities within the organization and 

hope to see this trend continue to grow while still 

supporting our virtual activities. 

With our annual Getaway in Santa Fe in October, 

and more in-person activities, our members have 

enjoyed the connections that they have made within 

the organization and our groups and clubs continue 

to flourish. 

In this 2022 edition of the FAUSA Highlights 

Magazine we are highlighting accomplishments we 

have achieved philanthropically and also some of 

the fun activities that has been held during the year. 

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From the Editor 

FAUSA's Board and Leadership 

From the President 

FAUSA Welcomes You Home 

FAUSA Regions in the United States 

FAUSA's Virtual Activities and Coordinators 

FAUSA's Board 2022 

FAUSA's History 

Philanthropy 

The FAWCO Foundation Development 

Grants and Educational Awards 

Philanthropic Achievements 

The FAWCO Foundation Annual Grants 

Project Beloved and Lamp For Haiti 

Santa Fe Getaway and Annual Meeting 2022 

LUNAFEST 

FAWCO Liaison Annual Report 

FAWCO 2022 Interim Meeting 

Luxembourg Highlights 

FAUSA's Virtual Activity Groups 

FAUSA's Activity Groups 

Inspiring Women Magazine 

Obituaries 

FAUSA Boards through the years 

I hope you enjoy this edition of the Highlights 

Magazine as much as I have enjoyed being reminded 

of just how much we have accomplished in 2022. 

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FAUSA BOARD AND LEADERSHIP 

FAUSA Board of Directors 

2022-2023 

 

President 

Liz Janson 

president@fausa.org 

 

1st VP Communications and PR 

Brenda Brinkley 

1stvp@fausa.org 

 

2nd VP Membership 

Yolanda Henry 

membership@fausa.org 

 

Treasurer 

Kathy Limbaugh 

treasurer@fausa.org 

 

Secretary 

Leslie Nelson 

secretary@fausa.org 

 

Director of Philanthropy 

Susan Frick 

philanthropy@fausa.org 

 

FAWCO Club Liaison 

Suzanne MacNeil 

fawcoliaison@fausa.org 

 

Parliamentarian 

Jennifer Padfield 

parlimentarian@fausa.org 

 

 

 

FAUSA Leadership 

Positions 

 

Archivist 

Louise Greeley-Copley 

archivist@fausa.org 

 

Historian 

Nancy Thornley 

jthornley@capecod.net 

 

Newsletter 

Nicole Grillo 

newsletter@fausa.org 

 

Social Media 

Jennifer Padfield 

socialmedia@fausa.org 

 

Webmaster 

Debbie Hastings 

webmaster@fausa.org 

 

Sunshine 

Judy Treanor 

sunshine@fausa.org 

 

Counselor Liaison 

Jane Indreland 

counselor_liaison@fausa.org 

 

Nominating and Board Development 

Janet Darrow 

nominating@fausa.org 

 

 

 

 

 

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FROM THE PRESIDENT 

Liz Janson 

President 

Greetings FAUSA family! Welcome to 

the FAUSA Highlights magazine! 

Whether you’re a new or experienced 

FAUSA member, I hope you’ll find 

much interesting to read about a few of 

our outstanding members, some of our 

activities and metro groups and some 

highlights of 2022. 

another to achieve mutual goals, while 

sharing the camaraderie of living 

internationally or having experienced 

the expat life. 

A new emphasis in 2022 was the use 

of teams in the FAUSA organization. 

Teams bring continuity over the years, 

as well as a variety of skills and 

experiences. Team members are more 

involved with FAUSA and add to our 

overall connectedness. Teams share 

the load so that no one member gets 

overwhelmed (at least not TOO often!). 

If someone goes on holiday, the work 

doesn’t stop…other team members 

can pick up the slack. Newer team 

members are 'in training' for greater 

participation. More involved members 

give the nominating team a wider 

group of people to consider for board 

positions. 

message and The FAWCO Foundation 

Treasurer, Kathy DeBest, gave a 

presentation about their organizations 

at the Annual Meeting Saturday 

morning. 

Please join me in thanking this year’s 

Highlights editor, Nicole Grillo, who 

coordinated the interesting and 

comprehensive content, layout and 

publication of this issue. 

The following is a recap of 

accomplishments in 2022. You’ll find 

more information about these and 

other topics in succeeding pages of 

Highlights. 

Being a member of FAUSA connects 

members with a fellowship of returning 

expats who understand what it’s like 

to come home when ‘home’ is not the 

same, and when ‘home’ can also mean 

a place outside of North America. A 

new FAUSA motto (2022), ‘Globally 

Connected, Locally Active’, ties in with 

the opportunities FAUSA members 

have to meet with others in their local 

areas as well as continuing to 

participate in committees, teams and 

boards of our sister organizations, 

FAWCO and The FAWCO 

Foundation. The three organizations 

operate and work with one 

Getaway and Annual Meeting 

Santa Fe was the location of the 2022 

Annual Meeting and Getaway, 

organized by a new Getaway team 

Rick Chizmadia (video of the 

Getaway), Marilee Watts, Linda 

Harvan and Liz Janson. A record 57 inperson 

attendees toured the downtown 

area and held the annual business 

meeting and Saturday evening gala at 

the Eldorado Hotel. Virtual attendees 

(5) participated via Zoom for the 

Saturday events. Jennifer Padfield put 

together a digital Annual Report sent to 

all members. FAWCO President, 

Emily van Eerten recorded a video 

Philanthropy 

Philanthropy, led by Sue Frick, once 

again used the virtual silent auction 

platform, OneCause, to assemble a 

selection of items and experiences for 

FAUSA and FAWCO members to 

contribute to, bid on and connect with 

one another. The quilt raffle (quilt 

donated by Chris Czyszczewski), 

donations, and silent and live auctions 

raised a record-breaking $22,000 for 

FAUSA and its projects. A new FAUSA 

Annual Grant team (Therese Hartwell, 

Julie Mowat, Jennifer Padfield, 

Christine Rigby-Hall and Mary 

Elizabeth Sadun) rewrote the grant 

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FROM THE PRESIDENT 

application and vetted a record number 

of 12 applications for two Annual 

Grants. 

Through the enthusiasm and 

leadership of FAUSA Counselor, 

Therese Hartwell, the LUNAFEST 

women’s film festival provided 

entertainment and raised over $2200, 

all of which went directly to FAWCO’s 

Target project on the environment and 

put FAUSA in the Tulip donor category. 

Outreach 

FAUSA’s members come from 

FAWCO clubs around the world. 

Publicity about FAUSA and outreach to 

FAWCO clubs by FAWCO Liaison, 

Suzanne MacNeil, has led to an 

increase in committed FAWCO and 

Foundation members joining and 

becoming active in FAUSA. 

Membership 

Yolanda Henry, 2nd VP Membership 

reported membership as of December, 

2022, is at 279 annual, five-year and 

lifetime members, and includes several 

men. 

Communications 

Communications platforms under the 

leadership of 1st VP, Brenda Brinkley, 

continued to keep FAUSA members 

well connected through the monthly 

newsletter (editor Nicole Grillo) with a 

record monthly open rate of almost 

80%, social media (Jennifer Padfield), 

website (Debbie Hastings), 2021 

annual Highlights magazine (editor 

Jane Indreland, design Rick 

Chizmadia), videos (Rick Chizmadia). 

Zoom video calls are available 

for all FAWCO events and activities, 

FAUSA used the Yumponline 

magazine platform to share Highlights 

and our Annual Report. 

Congratulations to the eight FAUSA 

women featured in FAWCO’s 

publication, Inspiring Women: 

Alexandra Vo, Harriet Cannon, Liz 

Janson, Kathy Limbaugh, Pat 

Lawrence, Jane Indreland, Suzanne 

MacNeil, Chris Czyszczewski. 

Treasurer 

In addition to regular financial 

responsibilities, Treasurer, Kathy 

Limbaugh, sat on the newly formed 

Finance Committee with members 

from FAUSA, FAWCO and The 

FAWCO Foundation. FAUSA 

employed a tax consultant to file our 

2021 tax returns. Kathy invited all 

FAUSA members to two financial 

reviews of the revised forecast budget 

prior to the Annual Meeting in October. 

Secretary 

Secretary, Leslie Nelson, organized an 

Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 

II from Brooklyn, NY to Southampton, 

UK at the end of May, 2023. Eleven 

staterooms have been booked 

by FAUSA members and friends. 

Contact Leslie for more information if 

you’d like to join us for this fun and 

unique activity. 


FAUSA’s Administrative Guidelines 

were thoroughly updated by 

Parliamentarian Jennifer Padfield. 

Counselor Liaison 

A new leadership position was added: 

Counselor Liaison. Jane Indreland 

was appointed to this position and is 

responsible for communicating with 

past FAUSA presidents (counselors) 

when asked to do so by the president 

of the board, and at the counselors’ 

request. 

FAWCO Caroline Curtis Brown 

Spirit Award 

At the 2022 FAWCO Interim 

Conference, FAUSA past president, 

Rick Chizmadia was awarded the 

prestigious FAWCO Caroline Curtis 

Brown Spirit Award, established in 

2005 in appreciation of service 

exemplifying the spirit, inspiration and 

dedication of FAWCO Founder 

Caroline Curtis Brown. This award 

recognized Rick’s dedication, 

enthusiasm and the spirit of 

volunteerism. 

Our many virtual activity groups and 

activities continued to thrive, providing 

members with opportunities to connect 

with many interest groups. Metro 

groups met virtually and in person 

again. I encourage anyone who is 

interested in getting involved with 

FAUSA to join one of these groups ... 

or start one in your area if there is 

something you’d like to do that we 

don’t currently offer. 

Google Workspace is the platform 

used by the FAUSA board and 

volunteers for our internal 

communications, document sharing 

and archives. As users have become 

more familiar with this platform, we’re 

using more of its benefits and 

efficiencies. 

So sit back, grab a cup of tea or a 

glass of wine and enjoy this review of 

FAUSA in 2022! 

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FAUSA WELCOMES YOU HOME 

Welcoming You Home For Over 20 Years 

 

Globally connected, locally active, 

you don't have to leave your 

international life behind! 

 

FAUSA is the social and philanthropic network for former FAWCO club members and others repatriating to the United 

States and Canada. 

Our members maintain overseas friendships through participation in local and virtual groups, and our annual meeting, 

while continuing to participate in FAWCO and The FAWCO Foundation activities, teams and boards. 

We support those who have repatriated in experiencing the joys, challenges and changes involved in returning home. 

We award FAUSA’s Annual Philanthropy Grant to a philanthropic project in the Americas. 

We are eligible to apply for The FAWCO Foundation’s Education Awards and propose projects for The FAWCO 

Foundation’s Development Grants and Target Programs. 

FAUSA membership is divided geographically into regional and metropolitan areas, headed by Regional Representatives 

(RR) and Metropolitan Coordinators (MC). Metropolitan and some regional areas hold periodic in-person and virtual 

philanthropic and social events. 

FAUSA’s Annual Meetings/Getaways are held each fall in locations throughout North America...and virtually! Whether in 

person or on Zoom, they are a great way to connect with other FAUSA members and to catch up on the most recent news 

and events from the FAUSA organization. 

Santa Fe Getaway 

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FAUSA REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES 

There is also a 

region for Canada 

and also one for 

members who live 

outside the US and 

Canada 

FAUSA Regional Representatives (RR's) and Metro Coordinators (MC's) 

EASTERN US REPRESENTATIVE 


New England Region 

ME, VT, NH, MA, RI 

MC for Boston 

Alli Allmendinger 

Mid-Atlantic Region 

NYH, NJ, PA, CT 

MC for New York City 

Lisa O'Hearn 

Capital Region 

MD, DE, DC, VA, WV 

MC for Washington DC 

Diane Lange 

Great Lakes Region 

MI, WI, IL, IN, OH, KY 

Virtual Rep. 

Open 

MC for Cinicinnati 

Rich Chizmadia 

MC for Detroit 

Open 

MC for Chicago 

Open 

Great Plains Region 

MN, IA, ND, SD, ND, NE, OK, MO, KS 

Virtual Rep. 

Linda Harvan 

Southeast Region 

NC, SC, GA, AL, TN, MS, AR, LA 

Virtual Rep. 

Yolanda Henry 

MC for Atlanta 

Sue Ripp 

MC for Charlotte, SC 

Christine Collins 

MC for Nashville 


WESTERN US/CANADA REPRESENTATIVE 

Therese Hartwell 

Pacific Northwest Region 

WA, OR, AK 

MC for Seattle 

Michele Hedrikse DuBois 

Canada 

Yolanda Henry 

If you would like to become a regional or 

metro coordinator please contact 


Mountain West Region 

MT, ID, WY, UT, CO 

MC for Beartooth Mountain Area 


MC for Boulder/Broomfield/ 

Longmont 

Liz Janson 

MC for Colorado Srpints 

Linda Boren 

MC for Livingston/Bozeman 

Priscilla Dysart 

MC for Denver 

Open 

Southwest Region 

CA, AZ, NM, HI, TX, NV 

MC for Austin 

Elisabeth Soteroff 

MC for Dallas/Ft. Worth 

Elsie Bose 

MC for Houston 

Patricia Lawrence 

MC for Phoenix 

Jo Brandt 

MC for California South 

Open 

MC for California North 

Open 

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FAUSA VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES & COORDINATORS 

Book Clubs 

 

Book Club #1 (The Original) 

Yolanda Henry 


 

Book Club #2 

Beth Arena 

eearena@gmail.com 

 

Book Club #3 

Margaret McCue 

mmcue@bluewin.ch 

 

Houston-Austin Book Club 


1vp@fausa.org 

 

PNW/Seattle Metro Book Club 

Michele Hendriks DuBois 

michelefausa@gmail.com 

 

What In The World Book Club 

Leslie Nelson 

leslietfj@gmail.com 

 

Washington DC Region Book Club 

Dianne Lange 

langeusa@gmail.com 

Virtual Activities 

 

FAUSA Film Club 

Meenakshi Advani Rai 

mek9adv9@gmail.com 

 

FAUSA Makers Craft Group 

Liz Janson 

lizbjanson@gmail.com 

 

FAUSA In Motion 


motion@fausa.org 

 



1vp@fausa.org 

 

FAUSA Online Bridge 

Yolanda Henry 


 

FAUSA Virtual Mah Jongg 


michelefausa@gmail.com 

 

Wine Time With Amy 

Amy Patrick 

amypatrick24@yahoo.com 


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FAUSA 2022 BOARD 

the U.S. Army Reserves. His first two 

tours were infantry duty in Iraq and 

Doha. His current tour is a 

cybersecurity role in Maryland. 

LIZ JANSON 

President 

Liz Janson was elected President of 

FAUSA at the 2021 Annual Meeting. 

She served on the FAUSA board as 

1st VP Communications (2019-2021) 

and as FAWCO Club Liaison (2018- 

2019). She has been involved in 

various ways and to various degrees 

in the three FAWCO sister 

organizations for many years: as 

FAWCO rep for and president of the 

Munich International Women’s Club, 

secretary for The FAWCO 

Foundation board (2015-2017), 

nominating committees for The 

FAWCO Foundation (2015) and 

FAWCO (2019). She moved back to 

the US (Boulder, CO) in 2017 having 

joined FAUSA a year before her 

move. Liz lived overseas for a total of 

15 years in the USSR, the UK, China 

and Germany. 

Liz is a beekeeper currently working 

on her master beekeeper’s 

certification. She has been married to 

Eric for 43 years, has three sons and 

four grandchildren. 

BRENDA BRINKLEY 

First Vice President 

Brenda Brinkley was elected First 

Vice President for Communications 

at the 2021 FAUSA Annual Meeting 

in Cincinnati. She previously served 

as FAUSA’s newsletter editor from 

August 2019 - November 2021. She 

and her husband lived in Bern, 

Switzerland, from August 2015 to 

November 2018. While in Bern she 

served various roles in FAWCO’s 

American Women’s Club of Bern, 

including President. She currently 

splits her time between Houston and 

their summer home in Bath County, 

VA. While in Houston, Brenda 

accompanies her mother to doctor 

appointments and addresses home 

issues to help her live independently 

in the house where she raised her 

family. 

Brenda and Tripp are high school 

sweethearts and have been married 

for 37 years. They have two children 

who both live in Virginia. Their 

daughter recently married and lives 

near Richmond. Their son is 

currently serving in his third tour with 

YOLANDA HENRY 

Second Vice President 

Yolanda has traveled extensively and 

lived abroad for many years as her 

husband Mike took on various 

international assignments. In the 

early nineties they had a three-year 

posting to Cheshire in the UK. In 

1999, an aborted move to Japan 

turned out to be Singapore, with a 

final posting to London, England for 

over 4 years before retiring to 

Canada in late 2006. 

After joining FAUSA in 2007, 

Yolanda served for 2 years as VP 

Membership (2009-11) and 2 further 

years as VP Communications (2011- 

2013). More recently Yolanda was 

the newsletter editor (2017-2019) 

and is currently in her second term 

as 2nd VP Membership. She created 

and encouraged many online 

activities for FAUSA before and 

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during the pandemic. Yolanda is also 

the Chair of Tabitha Foundation 

Canada, a charity she became 

passionately involved with when living 

in Singapore. In addition to overseeing 

the board, she also travels to 

Cambodia every few years with teams 

of volunteers to build houses for 

destitute families. 

Yolanda and Mike live in Niagara-onthe-Lake, 

Ontario when the weather is 

nice, and migrate to Florida for the 

winter. They are both keen golfers. 

They have three third culture kids, 

Kendryth, Arden and Christopher, and 

four grandchildren. She and her 

husband Mike have attended many of 

the FAUSA Getaways since returning 

from abroad. 

2007-2009 while working for the 

Bank of Ireland. Before retirement, 

Kathy was a supply chain and 

management consultant, living 

andworking in Switzerland, China, 

Ireland, New Zealand, Germany, and 

Brazil. She is a strong advocate for 

the voice of girls and women having 

recently served for 6 years on the 

board for Girl Scouts Overseas and 

remains actively involved in her 

Council in Pennsylvania . Kathy is an 

outdoor enthusiast enjoying tennis, 

golf, platform tennis, scuba diving 

and skiing. Kathy and her husband 

Steve have two teenage daughters. 

 

 

Leslie is a Centurion Travel Specialist 

with American Express Travel & 

Lifestyle Services. She also 

serves as president of her local 

Alpha Xi Delta Greater Kansas 

CityAlumnae Association, is a 

Johnson County Democratic 

Committee Precinct Committee 

person and volunteers with an 

organization called UStrive, helping 

high schoolers with the college 

selection process. 

KATHY LIMBAUGH 

Treasurer 

Kathy was elected Treasurer of 

FAUSA at the 2021 Annual Meeting. 

She is a new member of FAUSA but 

was involved with FAWCO in Dublin 

as their Treasurer and the 

Professional Women's Network in 

LESLIE NELSON 

Secretary 

Leslie has been serving on the board 

for 8 years, 6 as secretary and 2 as 

FAWCO liaison. Her time abroad 

was spent in Dubai where she was 

the Communications Director for the 

AWA Dubai, a great club that was 

forced by the government to disband 

shortly afterher repatriation. 

Outside of her time with FAUSA, 

 

JENNIFER PADFIELD 


Jennifer has been a member of 

FAUSA since 2019 when she 

repatriated from Germany where she 

was a member of AWC Berlin. 

Jennifer was a member of AWC 

Berlin for four years and served on 

the Board as Treasurer from 2016- 

2017 as well as serving as the under 

40 club coordinator for two years 

before moving back to the USA. She 

now serves as FAUSA 

Parliamentarian and Social Media 

Manager 

Originally from New Jersey she has 

also lived in Rhode Island, Indiana, 

Virginia and now Florida. In addition 

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to FAWCO She has done volunteer/ 

humanitarian work with the Make-A- 

Wish Foundation, Democrats Abroad, 

Malteser/ Red Cross and has her MBA 

in Corporate Social Responsibility and 

Non-Profit Management. When she is 

not engaged with FAUSA she enjoys 

baking and exploring with her h and 

golden retriever. 

SUZANNE MACNEIL 

FAWCO Liaison 

Suzanne MacNeil joined the FAUSA 

board at the 2021 FAUSA Getaway in 

Cincinnati and is serving in the role of 

FAWCO Liaison. Suzanne joined 

FAUSA in 2020, not long after she 

repatriated having spent seven years 

living in Amsterdam and The Hague, 

Netherlands. About a year into her 

time as an expat Suzanne joined the 

AWC The Hague where she served in 

numerous capacities including editor 

of the club’s monthly magazine 'Going 

Dutch' and then as president her final 

two years abroad. 

In November 2012 Suzanne 

remarried. She and Tim were 

neighbors in Nashville living across 

from one another in a cul-de-sac. One 

month after the wedding Tim told 

Suzanne he had a job offer in Europe 

and was she interested in living 

abroad. It was easy to say yes! While 

living in The Hague Suzanne took a 

beginners’ mosaic class and then 

attended numerous workshops 

throughout Europe. Today she has a 

standalone mosaic studio at her 

home and donated workshop 

experiences that were auctioned off 

at the 2022 FAWCO Interim meeting 

and the 2022 FAUSA Getaway! 

Now that she’s back in the U.S., 

Suzanne is able to get to Florida 

every few weeks to spend time with 

her mom and to see her two sons and 

daughters-in-law on a more regular 

basis. She’ll be in Boston quite a bit 

once her first grandchild is born in 

late May to her older son and his wife! 

Suzanne’s younger son married in 

October 2022 and lives in Southern 

California. In addition to her sons, 

Suzanne is stepmom to her 

husband’s three adult children and is 

Nana Suzanne to his three 

grandsons! 

SUE FRICK 

Philanthropy 

 

Sue grew up in a Chicago suburb 

and graduated from Culver-Stockton 

College in Canton, MO with degrees 

in physical education and music. She 

later earned a Masters in Music 

Education from Southeast MO State. 

Sue is a church musician, teacher, 

avid walker, lover of books, wife of a 

retired pastor, mother of three 

beautiful, strong, independent 

women and grandmother of a fun 

loving, precocious almost 3-year old 

with another grandchild on the way! 

Sue and her husband, Murray, felt 

amazingly lucky to serve an Englishspeaking 

Protestant church in 

Brussels, Belgium for thirteen years. 

Sue became very involved in the 

AWCB and served the club in various 

capacities becoming the President 

for two years in 2016 and was on the 

Board for another year before they 

repatriated in 2019. Sue also served 

as the FAWCO Region 4 (BeNeLux) 

representative for 3 years. 

In December 2020, they officially 

moved to the Lake of the Ozarks, 

MO and in 2021 Sue's husband 

served a short interim position in 

Northwestern Missouri. It was very 

difficult to meet people in a new area 

due to the Pandemic, so Sue 

became very involved with the 

FAUSA online activities including the 

Makers Group, Wine Time, and 2 

book groups. Sue became the 

Philanthropy Director in October 

2021. 

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FAUSA'S HISTORY 

FAWCO Comes Home 


The idea of 'returning home' became a 

FAWCO reality in the late 1970's when 

Helen Cola of Rome, moving back to 

Washington D.C., set up a card file of 

local repatriates. This group became 

known as FAWCO West. A formal 

Returning Home Committee was created 

in 1980. The Washington group sent back 

how-to information on credit, license 

plates, mortgages, schools, and whatever 

else pertained to adjusting to life back in 

the States. Guidelines For Returning to 

the USA was published in 1983 in 

response to a survey and included a 

chapter on returning children. An on-going 

ad placed in club bulletins asked: 

"Returning to the USA? Don't let us lose 

you". A map marked the locations of 

FAWCO alumnae - New York, New 

Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, Washington 

D.C., Maryland, Texas and California. 

In 1989 the FAWCO Board appointed 

Linda Crowley, in Connecticut, as the 

Alumnae Representative. Using a 

computer, Linda expanded the 

membership file and sent out a newsletter. 

She was succeeded by Karen Burdsall. In 

1995 Mona Garcia, returning to Texas 

from Madrid, set up a more cohesive 

alumnae group. Dues were collected and 

a quarterly newsletter published; it was 

sponsored by a relocation service. It was 

Linda who, in 1997 in Dublin, promoted a 

first-time-ever FAWCO Conference in the 

States, in Washington D.C., to celebrate 

America 2000. When this proposal, not 

without controversy, was approved, an 

alumae committee was appointed and, 

with Mona Garcia as chair, set off to 

organize the event. 

Twenty-one women - Mona Garcia, Linda 

Johnson, Linda Sampson, Jude Stalker, 

Linda Crowley, Kay Miller, Dorothy 

Childers, Elizabeth Bagney, Eileen 

Ploumpis, Angela Eliopoulis, Dale 

Koepenick, Jean Geese, Dona Belt, 

Nancy Thornley, Helen McNulty, Eleanor 

Fina, Lisa Chase, Donna Gray, Marilyn 

Richey, Shirley Van Ooijen, and Brooke 

Givot - met in Chicago on September 17- 

20, 1998. The first item of business was 

the deposit to the Hotel Washington - 

FAWCO had not provided any seed 

money. Twenty one personal credit cards, 

each charged $500, solved this immediate 

problem. The group met again in Santa Fe 

in January 1999, and in Washington, D.C. 

the following April and October; the 

Conference on March 16-20, 2000 was 

one of the largest and best attended in 

FAWCO history. The Conference 

Cookbook, edited by Nancy Thornley, was 

created and sold for the occasion. 

FAWCO Alumnae USA (FAUSA) was 

incorporated in the State of Texas on May 

1, 2000. Six alumnae - Mona Garcia, Jude 

Stalker, Kay Miller, Nancy Thornley, Linda 

Sampson and Pat Coker - meeting at Pat's 

home in Dunwoody, Georgia, on June 9- 

14, 2000, and began the process of 

defining FAUSA. They met again in 

October 12-15 at Linda Sampson's home 

in Dallas; Jane Indreland joined the group. 

Beginning with it's purpose, the details of 

the organization were worked through - 

officers, membership, elections, dues, 

meetings, etc. Nancy Thornley wrote up 

The Constitution, Bylaws and 

Administrative Guidelines. "The purpose 

of the Association shall be to facilitate the 

repatriation experience of its members 

and to help them maintain their 

international ties in order to bring about a 

better understanding between the United 

States and other nations." The IRS 

designated FAUSA as a 501(c)(4) when it 

received its tax exemption on December 

10, 2001. In 2016 FAUSA reapplied to the 

IRS for a 501(c)(3) status by making a 

bylaw change with a new purpose that 

included a charitable dimension: "The 

Corporation shall support the repatriation 

experience by maintaining an 

international network and committing its 

resources to the health, education, 

environment and human rights of women 

and children worldwide." FAWCO had 

also changed its philanthropic direction by 

targeting programs to the United Nations 

goals for women and girls. The new tax 

status was granted in April, 2018. The 

Bylaws Committee was Karen Sndeker, 

Chair; Jane Indreland, Nancy Thornley, 

Dale Koepenick and Rick Chizmadia. 

The new FAUSA group considered itself 

quite autonomous, not just an appendage 

of FAWCO. It has it's own name, it's own 

constitution, its own bank account, its own 

Board of Directors. It even had its own 

charities; as FAWCO was supportung 

projects in Africa, FAUSA sought out 

those in need south of the border. 

For FAWCO, what had been an 

alumnae committee was now designated 

as an affiliate Club category had been set 

up as a two-year trial membership for 

American clubs overseas. in 2003 

FAWCO amended its bylaws. FAUSA 

became its own entity, an equal partner of 

FAWCO and The FAWCO Foundation. 

12

Philanthropy 

FAUSA Annual Grants 

The FAWCO Foundation Development Grants and Educational Awards 

SUE FRICK 

Philanthropy 

This year has been a banner year for 

FAUSA’s Philanthropic achievements. 

FAUSA sponsored a $4000 

Development Grant for Human Rights 

and a $4000 Educational Award for 

Skills Enhancement for The FAWCO 

Foundation. 

In May 2022, at the FAWCO 

Conference in Luxembourg, the 

recipient of the Human Rights DG, 

FAUSA Effecting Change for Women 

and Children at Risk was awarded to 

“Empowering Community Health 

Workers in a Haitian Shantytown” for 

Lamp for Haiti and nominated by 

FAUSA member, Liz Hemminger. 

2022 FAUSA Skills Enhancement 

Education Award which allows a 

FAWCO or FAUSA member to 

acquirenewskillsorenhance 

alreadyexistingskills was awarded to 

Brook Viertel, a member of AWC 

Hamburg. 

A FAUSA nominated application was 

privileged to be awarded the 2022 

Educating Women and Girls 

Worldwide, sponsored in part by 

Renuka Matthews. Juliet Cutler 

nominated "MaaSAE Girls 

Secondary School, located in Monduli 

Tanzania on behalf of Operation 

Bootstrap Africa. 

With the help of a new Philanthropy 

Team, it was decided this year to 

award two $5000 FAUSA Annual 

Grants at our Getaway Conference in 

Santa Fe. We received twelve grant 

applications, and all FAUSA 

members were given the opportunity 

to vote but had to make the difficult 

decision to cast their ballot for only 

two of the worthy applicants. Our 

2022 winners of a $5000 FAUSA 

Annual Grant were: 

Beloved Bundles and Soft 

Interview Room for Project 

Beloved in Fort Worth, TX – 

submitted by Therese Hartwell 

Women’s Health Program for 

Expectant Mothers and Babies 

for The Lamp Foundation in Cité 

du Soleil - submitted by Elizabeth 

Hemminger 

These wonderful Grants and Awards 

would not be possible without the 

support of YOU, our valued FAUSA 

members. Thank you all for your 

monetary donations, auction items, 

and the purchase of auction items 

and quilt tickets. With your help in 

October, we were able to raise 

$23,533! 

(For more information about these 

awards and grants, 

please check out the Philanthropy 

section on our website.) 

Santa Fe Getaway Photos 

13



Project Beloved, the recipient of one of 

FAUSA’s 2022 annual grants, strives 

to educate, advocate, and collaborate 

to change the conversation about 

sexual assault and empower survivors 

to find their voices, with the vision of a 

world where survivors of sexual 

assault are heard and believed, 

perpetrators are prosecuted, and 

justice is served. The organization was 

founded by Tracy Matheson in 

response to her grief over the rape 

and murder of her daughter, Molly 

Jane. 

The grant proceeds will be used by 

Project Beloved to fund a soft 

interview room and items for 35 

Beloved Bundles. Soft interview rooms 

provide comfortable, rather than stark, 

spaces in which law enforcement can 

interview sexual assault survivors. 

When survivors have a forensic exam 

or "rape kit," their belongings are often 

seized as evidence, leaving them with 

nothing to wear home or, alternatively, 

the evidence cannot be retained. 

Beloved Bundles include simple 

clothing, undergarments, travel-sized 

hygiene products and stress-relieving 

items to address this issue and allow 

survivors to leave the exam with 

dignity and the knowledge that 

someone cares. Project Beloved funds 

the Beloved Bundles, but volunteers 

assemble and deliver them locally. 

Trauma-informed care, such as soft 

interview rooms and Beloved Bundles, 

not only helps keep survivors from 

being re-traumatized, but also 

increases the chances that law 

enforcement will be able to obtain 

meaningful evidence, maximizing the 

likelihood that perpetrators will be 

apprehended and prosecuted. 

FAUSA Austin members, Barbara and 

Kelsey McKay (mother and daughter) 

have been supporting Project Beloved 

for several years. Project Beloved is a 

member of RESPOND Against 

Violence, a collaborative alliance 

dedicated to fighting trauma, 

interpersonal and sexual violence, 

child abuse, and human trafficking, 

founded by Kelsey McKay. The Austin 

FAUSA group has participated in two 

assemblies of Beloved Bundles for 

local sexual assault centers. In 

addition, Tracy Matheson and Kelsey 

McKay both participated on a panel on 

trauma-informed care for the FAWCO 

Human Rights Forum in November, 

2021. 

If you know of a SANE (Sexual Assault 

Nurse Examiner) department, sexual 

assault center or other organization 

anywhere in the US that could use 

Beloved Bundles, and/or you are 

interested in assembling bundles, you 

can find further information by clicking 

here. 

Women’s Health Program For 

Expectant Mothers and Babies 

For the second year, FAUSA is 

funding the program of Lamp for 

Haiti, a New Jersey based foundation 

that funds a clinic in the heart of the 

slums in Citi de Soleil. The funds will 

pay for 250 expectant mothers and 

their babies to have high quality 

health care. It will pay for routine 

exams, full labs, pre-natal vitamins 

and supplements, ultrasound and the 

treatment of existing conditions. It will 

also cover the cost of follow-up by 

the Community Health Workers from 

the Clinic. 

A Message from Dr. James Morgan 

Reflecting on Martin Luther King 

Day 

Health, Partnership and 

Community 

 

It seems appropriate to send this first 

message of the year on this January 

day, a day that we mark the birth of 

surely one of the world’s most 

influential figures of the past century, 

Martin Luther King, Jr.. King didn’t 

start wars, or invent any new 

technology. Instead he responded to 

an age old yet still burning issue of 

his day, inequality, and that response 

continues to resonate. King asked 

difficult questions to colleagues and 

friends, politicians and ordinary 

people. He organized, he marched, 

he stuck to his conscience, he never 

gave up. 

14



In his speech in Memphis, the day 

before he was murdered, King spoke 

movingly about the crucial need to stay 

together with an organized plan in order 

to affect change. 

Further, in recounting the biblical 

parable of the “Good Samaritan”, King 

notes that the Samaritan intentionally 

left himself vulnerable to attack by 

robbers, or even worse because of the 

question that he asked himself. While 

others posited “what will happen to me 

if I help this poor man?, the Samaritan 

instead asked the inverted question of 

“If I do not stop to help this man, what 

will happen to him?” and he then acted 

on his conclusion. King next extends 

that same inverted question to the 

plight of the sanitation workers of 

Memphis, on whose behalf he was 

lobbying. 

Our staff at Lamp ask a similar 

question when they enter Cité Soleil 

each day. You see, to many of their 

friends and colleagues, they 

themselves are “inveted” or “tet anba”. 

Others are clearly puzzled when they 

see our staff willfully going into a 

potentially dangerous place to care for 

the sick and the injured. The question 

“what will happen to this community if 

we don’t participate?” is answered 

resoundingly with action itself. It is an 

action borne out of the tagline of Lamp 

for Haiti: Healthcare, Partnership, 

Community. 

This year, in our communications with 

you each month, we'd like to highlight 

examples of these basic tenets of our 

work in the arena of healthcare, 

thecountry has seen a continued 

“brain drain” of doctors and nurses 

leaving Haiti, trying to escape unsafe 

living conditions, especially in and 

around Port-au-Prince. (The Lamp for 

Haiti health center is on the margin of 

the capital.) All health facilities have 

been impacted, including Lamp. In the 

past three weeks we have interviewed 

three very qualified doctors to fill one 

of our empty positions, and we 

continue to work to get us back to full 

staffing soon. 

For now, we continue to provide 

quality care. We have been able to 

return to Cité Soleil, and have been 

seeing patients there. We will continue 

to organize, to work , side by side with 

the marginalized in the direction of, 

and at times explicitly manifesting 

King’s notion of, the Beloved 

Community. 

We at Lamp remain grateful for your 

decision to stay engaged in this work. 

Both your work and your friendship is 

life sustaining for so many. 


15

Santa Fe Getaway and Annual Meeting 2022 

Santa Fe was the location of the 2022 

Annual Meeting and Getaway, 

organized by a new Getaway team 

Rick Chizmadia (video of the 

Getaway), Marilee Watts, Linda 

Harvan and Liz Janson with Santa Fe 

helpers Wendy Russell and Patricia 

Lawrence. A record 57 in-person 

attendees toured the downtown area 

and held the annual business meeting 

and Saturday evening gala at the 

Eldorado Hotel. Five virtual attendees 

participated via Zoom for the 

Saturday events. Jennifer Padfield put 

together a digital Annual Report sent 

to all members; printed copies were 

available for attendees. Wendy 

Russell prepared handouts of places 

to eat and shop in the central Santa 

Fe area. 

The Thursday evening welcome event 

was held at a funky venue next door 

to the Eldorado Hotel. The duet, Rom 

Romanovsky and Hillary Schacht, 

entertained us with fiddle music while 

we caught up with one another and 

enjoyed a dinner buffet. 

Friday morning we all piled into open 

air trolleys for a tour of the downtown 

and historic Santa Fe area. The group 

gathered in front of the Basilica for 

group photos, then meandered over 

to the New Mexico History Museum 

for docent-led tours. A large group 

participated in the optional tour that 

Louise Greeley-Copley organized of 

her aunt and uncle’s 200 year old 

adobe home, gallery and artists 

studios (also available on Sunday 

afternoon). Originally a trading post 

stop for local tribes and the Pecos 

Mission, the home also served as a 

field hospital during the civil war. It has 

been the home of Gallery ZIPP for 

over 50 years. 

A wine tasting from the New Mexico 

vintner, Gruet Winery, was held at their 

Santa Fe tasting room Friday evening. 

Four different ‘pours’ were offered as 

well as a buffet dinner. The beautiful 

autumn weather held, and many 

attendees enjoyed the outdoor patio 

and heaters for this cozy evening. 

Such fun was had that anonymous 

donors sponsored an additional hour 

of the evening at the tasting room. 

Following a sit down breakfast at the 

Eldorado Hotel, Dr. Corrine Oqua Pi 

Povi Sanchez, PhD, of San Ildefonso 

Pueblo spoke to the entire group. 

Tewa Women United’s Executive 

Director, she holds a doctorate in 

Justice Studies from Arizona State 

University. Before the FAUSA Annual 

Meeting began, guests and many male 

members left for a photo scavenger 

hunt organized and led by Eric Janson. 

With some internet problems due to 

the hotel’s connectivity, the Annual 

Meeting was shared with several 

members via Zoom. Board members 

and others made their annual reports, 

and certificates of appreciation were 

awarded to those FAUSA members 

who made significant contributions 

during 2022. FAWCO President, Emily 

van Eerten recorded a video 

message, and the FAWCO 

Foundation Treasurer, Kathy DeBest, 

gave a presentation about their 

organizations at the Annual Meeting 

Saturday morning. The 2023 Getaway 

location and dates were announced: 

Nashville, TN, Sept. 28-Oct. 1. Janet 

Darrow’s generous contribution went 

towards under-writing the AV 

expenses. 

Saturday evening’s Route-66 themed 

gala dinner and auctions were a 

highlight of the Getaway. Many 

auction items were displayed in the 

foyer of the dinner area, after having 

been available on the OneCause 

auction platform for several weeks. A 

DJ provided music, and many had a 

blast having photos taken at the photo 

booth. Margaret McCue’s Route 66 

fun quiz was on each table, and 

winners took home Queen Mary 2 

‘swag’ that Leslie Nelson received 

from Cunard. Several husbands 

modeled handbags and accessories! 

Due to ongoing internet issues, the 

evening was not shared on Zoom. 

Murray Frick was our outstanding 

auctioneer, and Rick Chizmadia once 

again led a very successful raise the 

thermometer campaign. A record 

amount was raised for FAUSA 

through these activities and the quilt 

auction. You can read more about the 

results in the Philanthropy report. The 

quilt (made by Chris Czyszczewski) 

was won by Kathy Limbaugh. 

We all enjoyed being together again 

in 2022 in Santa Fe and look forward 

to our next Getaway in Nashville in 

September 2023. 

16

LUNAFEST 2022 

FAUSA held our second annual 

LUNAFEST®, benefitting the 

FAWCO Target Project, the 

weekend of April 8, 2022. This 

annual film festival celebrates 

women filmmakers and gives their 

short films a national platform while 

raising money for non-profits 

supporting women. The 2022 films, 

running a total of 80 minutes, were a 

mix of narrative, animation and 

documentary short films by women 

about women. They reflected 

. 

a variety of perspectives, championed 

women, challenged our perceptions, 

sparked conversations, strengthened 

connections, and inspired us to be 

better versions of ourselves. FAUSA 

wrapped up our festival by hosting a 

virtual film discussion. With the help of 

FAUSA and FAWCO members and 

friends, FAUSA LUNAFEST 2022 

raised approximately $2,250 for the 

next Target Project on Environment, 

which will be announced at the 2023 

FAWCO Conference. FAUSA 

absorbed all costs so that all proceeds 

go to the Target Project. Thanks to all 

who purchased tickets, made 

donations and joined our film 

discussion. Special thanks to those 

who gifted tickets, with Susan 

McKinley taking the prize at 5 total 

tickets and our superstar 


supporters at the following levels: 

Supporting Cast: Julie Lehr, Sue Frick 

and Patti Meek; Film Lover: Sallie 

Chaballier, Carolyn White, Carol Lalani 

and Therese Hartwell. FAUSA is proud 

to jumpstart fundraising for the next 

Target Project. 

17

FAWCO Liaison Report 2022 

Although the pandemic was still an 

issue of concern, FAWCO remained 

active virtually and in person in 2022. 

Virtually, FAWCO hosted an 

Environment Festival, a Human Rights 

in Focus conference and an Inspiring 

Women Garden Party, as well as film 

screenings dealing with period poverty, 

the “long shadow” of racial injustice 

and climate change. Our US, UN, 

global issues and FAWCO Under 40 

teams hosted several online events 

and book discussions with guest 

speakers, while our Club Presidents 

and Reps met regularly throughout the 

year to address club development 

topics. A record number of FAWCO 

members were able to participate in 

CSW66 (A UN gathering of the 

Committee on Status of Women). Inperson, 

FAWCO Youth hosted a 

successful Cultural Volunteer program 

in Amsterdam, Regions 4 and 5 hosted 

Regional Meetings and the entire 

FAWCO family were delighted to meet 

again in Luxembourg, even if it was 

pushed back to May instead of our 

traditional March time frame. We were 

still able to enjoy sessions, workshops, 

performances, meals and a lively and 

joyous Foundation Night. Twelve 

FAUSA members attended and 

FAUSA Counselor Rick Chizmadia 

was honored with the Caroline 

Curtis Brown Spirit Award in 

appreciation of his dedicated service to 

the FAWCO and FAUSA communities 

over the years. FAWCO concluded it’s 

fourth Target Program, focused on 

health and the elimination of Female 

Genital Mutilation. Even during 

lockdown FAWCO and FAUSA 

members found ways to raise 

$177,000 for our Target Project Hope 

for Girls and Women Tanzania. The 

theme for the fifth Target Project in 

support of the Environment was 

announced, while the next Target 

Project will be announced in 

Bratislava. We look forward to 2023! 


18



To say the first gathering of FAWCO 

clubs in more than two years was a 

success is an understatement! 

FAWCO President Emily van Eerten 

(AWC The Hague) called the 

conference to order on Thursday 

afternoon and got down to business. 

Laurie Richardson, the UN Liaison, 

reported that it has been 25 years 

since FAWCO was granted 

consultative status on the Economic 

and Social Council. 

those who are interested in the role to 

reach out. 

The conference wasn’t short of 

recognizing members who have 

made significant contributions, 

including FAUSA’s Rick Chizmadia 

who was awarded the Caroline Curtis 

Brown Award! 

 

Members from more than 20 clubs, 

almost all of them from the UK and 

Europe, with Kenya and (of course) 

numerous FAWSA members in 

Luxembourg. 

The long-overdue conference in 

Luxembourg finally took place after a 

two-year break. For a full review of 

the IM, please go to the FAWCO 

website where the minutes of the 

conference are posted. 

Laurie also reported that after eight 

years in the job she is stepping down, 

which came as a surprise to many of 

the attendees. 

Mary Dobrian (AIWC Cologne) 

reported on the work of the Global 

Issues Teams and that two new 

regular virtual events have been 

added: the Global Issues Book 

Discussion series and the Global 

Issues Youth discussions. She also 

encouraged everyone to read the 

Global Issues Digest, a monthly 

FAWCO publication. Mary mentioned 

that the Health Chairs are stepping 

down this summer, and encouraged 

Rick broke barriers when he joined 

AWC Zurich in 2006 and attended the 

FAWCO conference in Seoul in 2008 

as an independent guest as he was 

not recognized as a member at the 

time. Rick also accepted a seat on 

the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

and Belonging) Target Program. 

Health chair Tharien van Eck (AWC 

Antwerp) was also given The 

Caroline Curtis Brown Award while 

Sallie Chaballier (AAWE Paris) and 

FAWCO Counselor My-Linh Kunst 

(AWC Berlin) received The Circle of 

Honor Award. 

As for the Education Awards and 

19



Development Grants, FAUSA’s 

nominees were the recipients of 

several awards. All the winners can be 

found by clicking the links: 

2022 Education Award Recipients can 

be found on The FAWCO Foundation 

website. 

Sue Frick, FAUSA’s philanthropy 

chair, was part of the team in 

Luxembourg. “One of the high points 

for me was accepting the FAWCO 

Development Grants (DG) for FAUSA 

members. Juliet Cutler, now living in 

Georgia, received a $4,000 DG for the 

MaaSAE Girls Secondary School, 

located in Monduli Tanzania. Liz 

Hemminger who now lives in New 

Jersey was awarded $4,000 in the 

Human Rights category for the 

organization, Empowering Community 

Health Workers in a Haitian 

Shantytown. 

2022 Development Grant Recipients 

can be found on The FAWCO 

Foundation website. 

One of the highlights of the conference 

was meeting Rhobi Samwelly, whose 

organization, Hope for Girls and 

Women Tanzania, was the recipient of 

the 2020-2022 Target Project. All told, 

the Target #4 fundraising provided 

$177,000 to Rhobi and the women she 

works with in Tanzania. 

We (Sue Frick, Rick Chizmadia, and 

Suzanne MacNeil) had robust 

conversations about the benefits 

of 

FAUSA during our workshop, Face-to- 

Face. In addition, for the first time, we 

presented information about FAUSA to 

FAWCO reps, presidents, and regional 

coordinators, 

encouraging them to spread the 

word about FAUSA to members 

who are due to repatriate. 

$47,700 was raised for the 

philanthropic endeavors of The 

FAWCO Foundation that partially 

fund the Development Grants and 

Education Awards. 

20

FAUSA'S VIRTUAL ACTIVITY GROUPS 

Wine Time with Amy 

We continued the third year of Wine Time in 2022, with wine tasting and food pairing sessions held one Saturday each 

month. Programming for this year focused on lesser-known wine regions such as England, Greece, Uruguay and the 

Finger Lakes, as well as comparing well-known grape varieties from both Old Workd and New World wine producing 

areas. The annual USA wines session brought even more wines to the forefront from lesser known wine producing 

states, World and New World wine producing areas. The annual USA wines session brought even more wines to the 

forefront from lesser-known wine producing states, teaching us that wine can be made most everywhere! We keep a 

running list of wines that participants bring to each session so that we can taste the winners on our own time and avoid 

the ones that get less than stellar reviews. It's been very rewarding to see our fellow FAUSA members fall in love with 

wines they've never heard of and bring interesting facts and questions to each session. 

FAUSA Bridge Club 

The FAUSA bridge group plays on Friday afternoons using both Zoom and an online platform called BridgeBase.com. 

Zoom allows us to socialize and also discuss bidding and play. We now have seven regular players and 3 subs, so we 

may be able to get two tables playing in the future. Everyone has learned a different form of bidding which can make it 

rather interesting at times. We don't take the bridge too seriously as a result, and treat it as good practice while making 

new FAISA friends. There's room for more players. If you are interested contact Yolanda Henry at membership@fausa.org 

21


FAUSA In Motion 

FAUSA in Motion is a virtual group created to encourage members to get out and move and take 

advantage of the many benefits you gain from being physically active. It all started with FAWCO’s 

Clubs in Motion initiative to encourage members to stay physically fit and connect with FAWCO 

friends. 

FAWCO collects data from club activities that involve movement. To partici-pate in the FAWCO 

initiative, FAUSA collects data one day each month and all activity recorded on that day is submitted 

to FAWCO for their tallies. While there were not many group activities during the pandemic, we can 

also record data on any date when 3 or more FAUSA members are active together and we hope 

groups will start recording their active miles too! 

In 2022, FAUSA in Motion received a total of 107 individual reports of activity including walking, 

hiking, running, golfing, swimming, kayaking, biking, dancing, aerobics, pickleball, sightseeing. 

Twenty-three members representing 11 states participated in the program with an average of 9 

participants per month. The month with the fewest participants was January, with only 4 reports 

totaling 32 miles. The months with the greatest number of participants were March and May with 13 

members reporting 70.4 and 65 miles respectively. For the year, FAUSA in Motion participants 

recorded a total of over 555 miles of activity. 

Mid Fits Group 

Mid Fits meets monthly via Zoom on the second Tuesday at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central. We are a social group of FAUSA 

members who live in the center of the country and not close to a larger group of members. We chat about FAUSA, 

family, travel, and other topics of mutual interest. It has been a great way to make new friends with similar experiences. 

FAUSA Makers Craft Group 

The FAUSA Makers crafts group meets every two weeks to craft and chat. Each of us works on and shares her own 

project; projects include knitting, needle point, scrapbooking, paper crafts and quilting. Any creative endeavor is 

welcome! 

22


AND BOOK CLUBS 

FAUSA Road Trip 

The FAUSA Road Trip set off on March 1st from downtown Chicago and 

continued westward to the Santa Monica Pier, a distance of 2417 miles. 

Participants were divided into teams, based loosely on the countries that they 

had lived in. There was also a team of FAUSA Board members and two 

individuals who were cycling the route. 

After several weeks it was clear that Route 66 was not long enough. Teams were progressing quickly, with Eric 

Janson leading the way on his bike. o, to extend the distance, participants turned north at the Santa Monica Pier and 

followed the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to Port Los Angeles, Washington. This added a further 1178 miles for 

a total of 3891 miles. Congratulations to all 26 participants who took part in this virtual journey. Prizes were awarded 

to: 

Eric Janson for first place individual cyclist. He completed the route in 5 months, 23 days and 17 hours. Eric 

received a commemorative Route 66 puzzle. 

Team Switzerland for first place team. Steve Limbaugh, Kathy Limbaugh, Margaret McCue and Brenda Brinkley 

completed the route 5 days after Eric. They received a beautiful Route 66 Mug. 

Individuals that logged over 1000 miles also received a Route 66 mug. 

A special thank you to Margaret McCue who did a superb job of researching points of interest along the way. 

This program is a great incentive to get out and exercise anytime, anywhere. I hope that more people will be 

interested in participating in 2023. Stay tuned to find out where we will be travelling virtually. 

FAUSA's Original Book Club 

This past year our journey took us far and wide. That's what so great about being part of a book 

group. We read outside our personal comfort zone and are almost always pleasantly surprised. 

This year's favorite was the award winning FIVE LITTLE INDIANS by Michelle Good. It follows the 

turbulent lives of five residential school students as they each cope with life after detention. Other 

favourites include Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Empite of Pain by 

Parick Radden Keefe and Madam Speaker by Susan Page. We have room for one or two more 

members. Please contact Yolanda Henry at membership@fausa.org if you are interested. 


The Houston-Austin book, which started in April 2021, continues to read on! In 2022 we met on the 

third Wednesday of each month. Our selections are various and include fiction and non-fiction. A 

few of 2022's selections include The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri, Consider This, 

Senora by Harriet Doerr, Miss Eliza's English Kitchen by Annibel Abbs, The Personal Librarian by 

Marie Benedict, and probably the groups favorite, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I 

enjoyed looking up the characters only to find, in the case of Eliza's English Kitchen, we could 

purchase her cookery book! And that Bella da Costa Greene, though fictionalized, was actually the 

librarian at the J.P. Morgan Library and Museum and has a full page of her own on the website. 

You can read more about Bella HERE. 

23

FAUSA'S ACTIVITY GROUPS 

FAUSA Beartooth Area Group 

Our group has members from several communities close to the beautiful Beartooth Mountains in south central Montana. 

We try to get together now and then, and in August we had a potluck barbecue at the Indreland ranch on Red Lodge 

Creek. Surprisingly, although we live in a rural area, our members are quite sophisticated, and they represent every 

continent except Antarctica. From top to bottom: Jaime Stevens, Priscilla Dysart (from the Livingston/Bozeman group), 

Gretchen Nolan, Jane Indreland, Polly Richter, Wanda Kennecott, Linda Thompson, Kathleen Ralph, Judith Gregory. Not 

pictured: Cathy Fitzgerald and Kelly Warren. 

FAUSA Capital Region Group 

This was a good year with in-person meetings predominating. We usually begin our meeting with catching up on each 

other’s lives and welcoming new members while we have a sumptuous lunch prepared by our host. An energetic book 

discussion follows ending with either praise or thumbs down for our selected book. In July we had a Summertime Party 

and in December we had a Holiday Party, both with spouses. Everyone brings their favorite appetizer which generates 

plenty of appreciation for the rich and delectable table of food. We continue to donate our energies to fundraising for 

FAUSA philanthropies and in 2022 we raised more than ever for FAUSA and for the United Nations Sustainable 

Development Goal #17 – Climate Action. We also venture out for activities. In February, we had a visit to the National 

Museum for Women in the Arts. Judy Treanor’s daughter, who is now the Curator of the museum, was the guide. In 

June, we had a tour of the Temple of the Church of Latter-Day Saints in Kensington. In November, we tried out our 

vocabulary and word-smithing skills at Planet Word Museum. Pictured from Left to Right: Liz, Joan, Mary, Neil, Anne, 

Dale, Judy, Dianne, and Phoebe enjoying a meeting at Neil’s home. 

24


FAUSA Colorado Group 

Although Colorado members of FAUSA did not get together in 2022, several contributed to the 

Boulder Valley School District's 'Impact on Education' 501(c)(3) for the Marshall Fire victims. The 

funds were matched, doubling our impact. Other members contributed gift cards and time to 

helping Marshall Fire victims. 

Colorado members will gather at Julie Mowat’s home in Estes Park in April to assemble bundles of 

clothing, hygiene products and stress relievers for survivors of sexual assault. This project is 

sponsored by one of the recipients of the 2022 FAUSA Annual Grant, Beloved Bundles. 

FAUSA Mid-Fits Group 

Mid Fits meets monthly via Zoom on the second Tuesday at 8 PM Eastern/7 PM Central. We are a social group of FAUSA 

members who live in the center of the country and not close to a larger group of members. We chat about FAUSA, family, 

travel, and other topics of mutual interest. It has been a great way to make new friends with similar experiences. 

FAUSA Livingston/Bozeman Group 

After meeting virtually for many months, the Livingston/Bozeman 

FAUSA was delighted to return to meeting for monthly lunches. 

We vary restaurants and locations between the larger town 

Bozeman and smaller Livingston. The group varies also in size 

from four to ten, depending on month, weather and everyone’s 

activities. The summer barbecue and Christmas luncheon with 

spouses and friends tradition continues at members’ homes. The 

month of October the Beartooth FAUSA from the Billings/Red 

Lodge area joins us for lunch at The Grand in Big Timber (area 

where Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer was filmed). Our 

group enjoys the conversation, comaraderie and getting to know 

each other. Welcome potential members and include the 

widowers of deceased members to our BBQ and Christmas 

events. Here we are at our Christmas party at Priscilla Dysart’s 

lovely home in Livingston on Dec 4. Pictured: Jane Indreland, 

Carol Scott, Linda Thompson, Ann Nagel, Priscilla Dysart, Roddy 

Stanton, Vicki Zeman. 

25


FAUSA Houston Group 

The Houston Group had a fun, action packed year full of cultural, social and philanthropic activities. Besides helping 

others and learning new things, we got know each other better and share our overseas experiences. Thanks to Mallery 

van der Horst, our Events Liaison, who planned and sent out all invitations and details, and to Dena DeClute-Melancon 

who is our philanthropy liaison. January started with a Zoom celebration of the Lunar New Year and a review of 

Houston’s Asiatown. It gave us several ideas for future luncheons! In February, we visited a new event space and 

dining area called The PostTX. It had incredible architecture and beautiful views of downtown. March took us to the 

YMCA International volunteer site where we sorted items for the Afghan refugees, the lunched at one of the Dim Sum 

restaurants we learned about in January. During the Spring, we viewed the Obama Portraits at the Museum of Fine 

Arts Houston followed by lunch at the Hotel ZaZa. We also walked outside in the Houston Arboretum before it got too 

hot, adding to our FAUSA in Motion tally! Putting together Back-to-School backpacks and distributing them to 

disadvantaged families is a much needed philanthropic event in Houston. This took place in early August. 

Organizational and Bi-lingual skills were used. And we made PB&J sandwiches for lots of hungry pre-school children 

who live with food insecurity every day. We enjoy going to Kids’Meals every year to help out. Mostly because of the 

hairnets! We finished out the year with some of us going to the Get-Away in Santa Fe, then celebrated a Friendsgiving 

dinner with spouses at a cozy Italian restaurant and ushered in the Holidays with a Pot Luck luncheon and White 

Elephant gift exchange that had us ROFL. Everyone brought a food dish that represented their time overseas and all 

were delicious! What a way to end 2022!! 

FAUSA New York City Metro Group 

The NYC Metro Group enjoyed an outing to the New York 

Botanical Garden in the Bronx for the annual orchid show last 

April. Due to a few last minute cancellations, there were only 

two of us there to enjoy the beautiful blooms and sunshine. 

Getting this group together isn't easy - we're scattered around 

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut but we are looking for 

ways to become more active. 

26

INSPIRING WOMEN MAGAZINE 

FAUSA has many talented people in 

our organization. Inspiring Women 

magazine, which is FAWCO’s online 

magazine and published four times a 

year, highlights many extraordinary 

women in each magazine. And 

FAUSA members are highlighted as 

well! The theme for the January 

2022 edition was Women and the 

Environment. FAUSA members 

Alexandra Vo, Harriet Cannon were 

featured. 

FAUSA member, Harriet Cannon, is a 

writer with roots in South Carolina. As 

a psychotherapist, she served as a 

consultant to the Boeing Company, 

International Schools and worked for 

the U.S. State Department in Chile. 

Harriet is co-author of Mixed 

Blessings: A Guide to Multicultural 

and Multiethnic Relationships. Exiled 

South is her debut novel. Harriet and 

her husband now live on the Olympic 

Peninsula in Washington and have 

two grown children. To read more 

about Alexandra and Harriet in the 

January 2022 edition, click HERE. 

Kathy Limbaugh, the FAUSA 

treasurer, started her gardening 

voyage at Longwood Gardens and 

Winterthur. Today she tends her own 

garden while trying to fight off the deer 

who just eat everything. To read more 

about Liz and Kathy in the May 2022 

edition, click HERE. 

Alexandra Vo, member of FAUSA, 

and from March 2022, tells us about 

her determination to use less plastic. 

In the May 2022 edition of FAWCO’s 

Inspiring Women magazine, Women 

and Gardening, FAUSA members Liz 

Janson and Kathy Limbaugh were 

featured. 

In the September 2022 issue of 

Inspiring Women magazine, Women 

& Youth: Inspiring the Future 

Generations, FAUSA members Pat 

Lawrence, Jane Indreland and Carol- 

Lyn McKelvey were featured. 

Pat Lawrence, FAUSA member and 

former member of MIWC (Munich 

International Women’s Club) is a 

docent of the Museum of Fine Arts, 

Houston, where she conducts 40 

tours a year. 

Liz Janson has been keeping bees 

since 2019. She has four hives on her 

roof, where she can (and does!) 

observe their comings and goings 

frequently. 

27

INSPIRING WOMEN MAGAZINE 

Jane Indreland, a member of 

FAUSA, is a docent at the 

Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, 

MT. To read more about Pat and 

Jane, and to read about the Garden 

Party by Carol-Lyn in The September 

edition, click HERE. 

event. 

In the November 2022 issue of 

Inspiring Women magazine, Who 

Would Have Thought? FAUSA 

members Suzanne MacNeil and Chris 

Czyszczewski were featured. 

Suzanne MacNeil, FAUSA member, 

shares her journey from one adult ed 

mosaic art class to traveling 

throughout Europe to learn from the 

mosaic masters. She now teaches and 

encourages others in the U.S. 

Chris Czyszczewski and her family 

have lived all over the world. But she 

and her husband decided that, for the 

sake of family connections, the right 

place to settle was near their adult 

children. To read more about Suzanne 

and Chris in the November edition, 

click HERE. 

On June 8, 2022 Inspiring Women 

Magazine hosted a Garden Party 

from around the world. FAUSA 

member Carol-Lyn McKelvey was 

one of the hosts of the LIVE Garden 

Party and she tells us about the 

28

FAUSA OBITUARIES 

Dorothy Brown Childers 

June 9, 1932 – December 9, 2022 

Dorothy Lucile Brown was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 9, 1932, to George Harold Brown 

and Lucile Muenzenmayer Brown. Dorothy’s family moved to Junction City, Kansas in 1941 and 

lived in the house her grandfather built and where her mother was born. She and her sister 

Georganne grew up surrounded by family that established roots in Kansas in 1860. 

She graduated as valedictorian of her Junction City High School Class in 1950. In 1954, she 

learned a BS in Education from the University of Kansas, where she met a handsome guy in her 

physics class. He helped with her homework and they quickly fell in love. On August 22, 

she married Thomas Wilson Childers, and for 68 years they enjoyed and extraordinarily loving and friendly marriage, 

lasting until the day she died. She taught one year of high school mathematics in Eudora, Kansas, and occasionally 

substitute-taught in Louisiana when her children were older. Tom’s deep love for Dorothy manifested in his devotion to 

her care for 11 years after her stroke in 2011.Tom and Dorothy had three daughters (Karen Lucile, Laurie Frances, and 

Amy Lynn) and one son (Joel Thomas). As a wife of a petroleum engineer, Dorothy had to adjust to frequent moves 

throughout the United States and abroad, from Eudora, KS to Great Bend, KS to Jackson, MS to Metairie, LA to 

Woodland Hills, CA to Mandeville, LA to London, England to Oslo and Stavanger, Norway to Kingwood, Texas. They 

also spent 26 summers in Pagosa Springs, CO. Dorothy was incredibly resilient, able to make close friends and create a 

beautiful home in each place her life took her. 

She loved art museums, visiting castles and ancient cities, exploring the world, and shopping for treasures. Traveling, 

especially with friends, gave her much joy. She climbed Machu Picchu, safaried in East Africa, walked the Great Wall of 

China, was followed by the KGB in Soviet-era Moscow, and explored the Galapagos and Easter Island. 

She adapted to each new home with involvement in many organizations and activities. She was always active in the 

local Methodist Church, singing tenor (or alto) in the choir and sometimes accompanying on the piano. Her PEO sisters 

provided a constant source of love and support. FAWCO (Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas), AAUW 

(American Association of University Women), Chi Omega Sorority, and then the Mountain Harmony Barbershop Chorus, 

Pagosa Arts Council, and the Grey Wolves in Pagosa Springs, CO all gave her many avenues to 

express her creativity, engage with the community, and do volunteer service. She was highly organized and skilled with 

numbers, and often served as club treasurer if not president. Until her stroke, she enjoyed an active social life. We 

delight in remembering her lively sense of humor and hearty laugh. 

Her oldest daughter Karen died just shy of her 21st birthday in 1976, an event that would shape Dorothy’s life in many 

ways. Dorothy worked through her grief by writing a book and talking with church groups about grief, a courageous and 

rewarding experience for her. Dorothy is survived by her husband Tom, daughter Laurie Childers of Corvallis, Oregon 

(son-in-law John Selker, grandchildren Julia and Jordan), daughter Amy Lewis of Santa Fe, New Mexico (son-in-law 

Greg Lewis and grandson Brian), and son Joel Childers of Paola, Kansas (daughter-in-law Bekki, grandsons Erik and 

Matthew). The Childers family is grateful for the steady presence of Sharon Wheeler who helped care for Mom the last 6 

years and for the hospice staff that helped us midwife our Dorothy through this transition. 

A memorial service for Dorothy will take place on Saturday, January 7th at Strawbridge Methodist Church, 5629 

Kingwood Dr, Kingwood TX, at 11 am. Light lunch reception to follow. Her ashes eventually will be interned in Junction 

City, KS in the family plot. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to PEO Sisterhood or a charity of your 

choice. 

29

FAUSA OBITUARIES 

Shirley van Ooijen 

Woman of the World 

July 3, 1920 – November 6, 2022 

FAUSA remembers one of our most dynamic members, Shirley van Ooijen, who passed away on November 6, 2022 at 

the age of 102. 

Shirley had traveled the world with her husband Jan, a Dutch ship’s captain, until she settled in Amsterdam to raise her 

family. There, she became involved with the AWC Amsterdam and FAWCO where she served as President from 1977- 

1979 and parliamentarian from 1983-1985. In 1998, FAWCO presented the Circle of Honor, its new highest award, to 

Shirley, recognizing her distinguished years of service and dedication to the goals and ideals of FAWCO in both elected 

and appointed positions. 

Following the death of her husband, Shirley moved to California and became an active member of FAUSA, serving as 

parliamentarian from 1999-2005. There were not many FAUSA or FAWCO Annual Meetings that she missed until her 

health began to fail. 

FAUSA Counselor and fellow Californian Lee Iacovoni-Sorenson remembered, “Shirley was one of the best! She was 

very generous to FAWCO and always supportive of the Foundation” Georgia Regnault, who knew her from the early 

days at the AWC Amsterdam and AWC Hague, best described Shirley as, “determined, resolute, kind and funny.” Those 

of us who knew Shirley remember her fondly and feel fortunate to have had her in our lives. 


30

FAUSA BOARDS THROUGH THE YEARS 

1999-2001 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 


2005-2007 

Mona Garcia 

Pat Coker 


Kay Miller 

Jude Stalker/ 

Maritere Nemec 

Shirley Van Ooijen 

President Jane Indreland 

1st VP Denise Fryzek 

2nd VP Laverne Ferguson 

Secretary Elizabeth Hemminger 

Treasurer Erica Fox Zabusky 

Parliamentarian Nancy Thornley 

2011-2013 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Philanthropy 


2017-2019 

Lee Sorenson 

Yolanda Henry 

Janelle Mason 

Judith Treanor 


Janet Darrow 


President Therese Hartwell 

1st VP Rick Chizmadia 

2nd VP Shannon Reiss 

Secretary Leslie Nelson 

Treasurer Kathy Coughlan 

FAWCO Liaison Janelle Mason/ 

Liz Janson 

Philanthropy Marilee Watts 

Parliamentarian Jane Indreland 

2001-2003 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 


2007-2009 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 


2013-2015 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Philanthropy 


2019-2021 

Dale Koepenick 

Jean Geesey 



Maritere Nemec/ 

Terry Erzmonet 



Stevie Coppin 



Dorothy Childers 


Janet Darrow 

Ellie Bedanes 

Carol Boren 

Karen Snedeker 


Carolyn Ludwig/ 

Sue Ripps 

Rick Chizmadia 

President Rick Chizmadia 

1st VP Liz Janson 

2nd VP Yolanda Henry 

Secretary Aurora Sylventri 

Treasurer Peggy Dauser 

FAWCO Liaison Leslie Nelson 

Philanthropy Marilee Watts 

Parliamentarian Jane Indreland 

2003-2005 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 


2009-2011 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 


2015-2017 

President 

1st VP 

2nd VP 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Philanthropy 


2021-2023 

Dale Koepenick 


Laverne Ferguson 


Jean Gesey/ 

Denise Fryzek 


Louise Greeley-Copley 

Yolanda Henry 

Linda Rishel-Little 


Sue Ripps 

Pamela Dahlgren 

Janet Darrow 

Rick Chizmadia 

Carol Boren 

Leslie Nelson 

Kathy Coughlan 

Liz Hemminger 

Karen Snedeker/ 


President Liz Janson 

1st VP Brenda Brinkley 

2nd VP Yolanda Henry 

Secretary Leslie Nelson 

Treasurer Kathy Limbaugh 

FAWCO Liaison Suzanne MacNeil 

Philanthropy Susan Frick 

Parliamentarian Jennifer Padfield 

31

FAUSA Highlights Magazine Updated

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