Welcome!
We're glad you found us.
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. — Henry Ford
Thank you to the officers and board members who are continuing in their leadership roles for the coming year: Patti Zakowski as secretary, Jennifer Krieger as treasurer, Jean Caslin as parliamentarian, Leslie Gersten as activities director, Dana McKinney as membership director, Marci Richter as tours and outings director and Anita Alford as volunteer/outreach director.
I’d like to welcome these members below to the board as new officers and directors.
Cheryl Feigel takes on the newly returned position of vice president. Cheryl and her husband Phil are natives of Kentucky and graduated from UK. She followed his career to Connecticut and Texas before retiring back “home.” While living away, her career turned from interior design to politics. In Texas she served on the City Council, then as the first female Mayor of their small town. After returning to Lexington, she was elected to the Fayette Urban County Council. She has two adult children and six grandchildren. “I have been very blessed with an abundance of great friends as a result of joining Newcomers.” Cheryl was previously the club’s marketing director.
We welcome to the board Naoko Neff as website director. She moved to Lexington in the spring of 2022 after retiring from 38 years in IT in Jacksonville, FL, and Albuquerque, NM. She is originally from Japan and occasionally works at the Japanese school as a substitute teacher in Lexington. She met her husband Mike while attending the University of New Mexico. They have a daughter and a son who both live in Florida. “I have made so many amazing friends through this club and would love to contribute to its activities and growth.”
Mary Reed comes to the board as marketing director. She was born in St. Louis and has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri. She spent 18 years as a newspaper reporter and editor and then started her own marketing company, which handles all forms of marketing, from websites and social media to company branding and advertising. She has three grown children and five grandchildren. She moved to Lexington from Jackson seven years ago to be near her daughter and her family. She has served on the club’s marketing committee and started the evening Mah Jongg group.
Barb Shears will be the communications director. She moved to Lexington two years ago to spend more time with her daughter Anna and her family, including her two grandchildren. Soon after, her second daughter, Mary, followed, and she felt incredibly fortunate to now live close to both of her girls. “In addition to enjoying the much milder weather compared to Cleveland, Ohio, I’ve been grateful to find such a welcoming organization in Newcomers & Friends. It provided an instant opportunity to build a strong community of friends and connections. I’ve especially enjoyed leading the Let’s Get Crafty group and participating in so many fun activities throughout the calendar year.” After a career in retail marketing and e-commerce, she’s excited to contribute her experience and skills as communications director to help further the mission of Newcomers & Friends.
Brenda,
Newcomers & Friends of Lexington President