We are lucky to be here! Our daughter introduced us to Big Canoe when we started thinking of retirement. Shortly after our initial visit we bought a lot in Wildcat and then with our retirement plans more certain, we visited one more time and instead of building, opted to buy a resale on McElroy Mountain. Big Canoe is now our home, conveniently located near our daughter and her family while enabling us to become part of a vibrant community in one of the most beautiful places imaginable.

We love this place, and after settling in, I was led to become involved in the community.  I have coordinated the Christmas Blessings Dinner at the Chapel, served as a part-time Sunday school teacher with my husband John, and been on the Tour of Homes Ad Sales team for two years. I am also in a Book Club, and belong to the Women's Guild, Ridgerunners and Garden Club.  I volunteer at Good Samaritan, and recently joined the Pine Needle Quilters. In the fall, my husband and I will co-chair the Stewardship campaign for the Chapel.

Following graduation with a math degree from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, I taught briefly in Charleston, S.C., before beginning our family and moving to Rhode Island.  As our family matured, I took courses at the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia and then served for nearly 20 years as a Director of Christian Education in a large suburban congregation and then in a similar position with the Lutheran Church in Singapore and Malaysia.  The overseas opportunity was dynamic and with a grant from the Singapore Government, I was able to build a child care center in the newly constructed city of Yishun.  After returning to the U.S., I completed a master's in early childhood administration, which led to my being the director of a two-way bilingual preschool for Miami Dade Community College, and executive director of the Bank of America Corporate Childcare Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Big Canoe is a growing community, which means our needs will be changing. I'm excited to work with the Homeowners Association to meet the needs of our residents. I am glad for this opportunity to run for the HOA Board, and if elected, look forward to contributing to making our community all that it