Association Officers

President

I was raised in Wichita, Kansas, and attended The University of Tulsa, where I pledged KKG. I transferred to The University of Kansas after my freshman year, and was accepted to the Omega Chapter there, where I built lifelong friends, held different offices within the chapter, had A LOT of fun, and of course studied…. Yes, I am a HUGE KU Jayhawk fan! For the last 26 years, I have lived in Santa Rosa, and am married to my husband David, with all of our 4 boys off and adulting. I got interested in the alumnae association because I wanted to meet new friends and get involved. It has been wonderful! I don’t know why I waited so long to join! My goal for my time in office is to learn from the women who have been so generous with their time over the years and have made NVAA what it is today. I have an aggressive goal to double our membership. I want us to offer activities and involvement in each of the 3 counties, expand our digital capabilities, and contribute to KKG philanthropies. Our chapter covers a very large geographical area, and, if I may be so bold, is in one of the most beautiful parts of the US. So, there are plenty of Kappa sisters we have not yet met and plenty of wonderful places we can visit. I cannot wait to meet every one of you and enjoy a smile and some laughter.

Treasurer

I was Initiated in 1984 at The University of California, Riverside (Epsilon Pi Chapter) and graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and later earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of San Francisco. I worked 30 years for Napa County Health and Human Services, most of them in leadership positions, first as a division manager and then as the deputy director for self-sufficiency services. I retired in 2015 to embark on my management consultant business. My passion is helping public and non-profit agencies realize their visions and fulfill their missions, specializing in working with organizations to improve effectiveness, and I particularly love leadership coaching. I am also very active in her community. Throughout the years, I've sat on multiple non-profit boards and councils, such as the COPE Family Center Board, as president, Workforce Investment Board, and Child Care Planning Council. I was recently appointed a Napa Housing Element Advisory Committee member, formed to assist the County of Napa in completing its 8-year housing element. I have advocated for affordable workforce housing and co-chair the Napa Housing Coalition. I am also a past president and current Parliamentarian of Soroptimist International of Napa and am the 2022/2023 Captain of the Kennedy Park Ladies Golf Club. I grew up in Napa Valley long before it became the wine tourism destination it is today, and I currently live here with my husband, Eric. We have three adult children and two beautiful granddaughters. Our son Brian is a mechanical engineer who lives in Sacramento with his wife and daughters. Our daughter Jacqueline is getting married in April 2023 and is the operations director for Aim High in San Francisco. She lives in Oakland with her fiance, Parik. Our son Evan is an aerospace engineer working on the Artemis I project at NASA. He lives in Orlando, Florida. My husband also calls me the "mother of cats." They are Noel and Spanky Martin, who live comfortably wherever they find a warm spot in the house. Missy Mae and Darla Rae, who are part feral, roam the property and have a lovely kitty condo on the outside patio. My favorite time is when all the kids are in the home in Napa, creating so much laughter together.

Secretary

I am a Kappa alum from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I served as President and First Vice President of Delta Nu chapter. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UMass as well as a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. I am currently Vice President of Corporate Development Integration at Cisco, responsible for the evaluation and execution of potential mergers, acquisitions, equity stakes, and divestiture opportunities. I live with my husband, David, in Sonoma. We are enjoying our newly built home as well as all Sonoma has to offer. I am active in my community through Impact 100 Sonoma and Sonoma Valley Newcomers. I am the proud mother of two adult children, daughter Allison (Alpha Chi Omega SMU), recently married, living in Livermore, and an engineer at Apple, and son Andrew (NCAA Soccer NYU), who lives in San Francisco and is a financial analyst at Tesla. As east coast transplants ourselves, we are thrilled to have their children back in the bay area. A staunch advocate for gender diversity, I have spearheaded multiple programs to inspire and position women for leadership. In 2018, I was awarded the YWCA Tribute to Women Award for her outstanding achievements, leadership, and impact in the organization, field, and community. Karen was also recognized by Purdue University in 2018 for exemplary accomplishments, leadership, and service to community as an Outstanding Industrial Engineer. I am a new member on the Board of the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley.

Membership Development

As the current Membership Chair, it’s a privilege to help grow our Kappa Alumnae group -connecting and celebrating such diverse and accomplished women! It would be hard to imagine when I pledged Kappa at the University of Miami (Delta Kappa in 1968) that this sisterhood would create so many enduring and enriching friendships. Following college graduation, I was hired by Pan American as an international flight attendant (utilizing those grueling French classes)! Based out of Washington, D.C. and New York I traveled over 4 million miles – gaining a life-long appreciation of cultural diversity and citizen diplomacy. (This was LONG before the Internet or Google Earth; I checked out books from the library to study up on my destinations.) In addition to Pan Am, I worked on Capitol Hill for several Members of Congress – from both sides of the aisle. Later, I launched a boutique consultancy working with Washington’s diplomatic community on trade delegations, business matching programs and high-level study tours. In 2011, I established a 501 c 3 non-profit organization to facilitate international cooperation and address global challenges. Our organization was awarded a 3-year grant by the European Commission to educate and connect EU and US researchers. The grant deliverables and international travel were all consuming - till my retirement to Santa Rosa in 2017. Blessed with good health and energy, I'm an active volunteer and serve in leadership roles with our Kappa Association and long-term membership groups such as the Junior League and World Wings International. My two wonderful adult children are on separate coasts - a daughter in D.C. and a son in L.A. When they visit, we always enjoy nature hikes, road trips and the area’s abundant dining. It’s a special place and I am delighted to live here!

RIF Philanthropy Chairperson

Rose McGill Holiday Program Chairperson