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OUR BOARD
GRETCHEN SHIVELY
PRESIDENT
Gretchen is so pleased to apply her experience in nonprofit management as a Board member. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College and the MBA program at UW, and 10 years raising children, she worked for 27 years at PATH - a global health agency in Seattle. After retirement in 2014, she looked for intellectual challenges, and found the LLC right in her own neighborhood. She signed up for classes, eventually offered her expertise in grant writing, which in turn lead to a position on the Board.
STEVE CAMP
VICE PRESIDENT
Steve happily "discovered" the stimulating and engaged LIfetime Learning Center community in 2014, following his retirement as a front office executive with the Seattle Mariners. He began facilitating the Sunday New York Times class in 2016, and was elected to the Board in 2017. He also serves on the Board of North East Seattle Together (NEST), and as President of the 5th Avenue Theatre Foundation. He is a Seattle native and UW alum.
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DIANE RONDEAU
SECRETARY
Diane discovered LLC in 2012 and was hooked after one class. She’d retired and been widowed a few years earlier and appreciated finding the LLC community of friends and classes that helped fill that void. She joined the LLC staff in 2016 as Office Manager, drawn to the opportunity to connect with and support LLC’s students, teachers, and activities. Diane retired from her LLC position in 2019 and joined the Board in October 2020.
BOB ROBINS
TREASURER
After growing up in Brooklyn, rooting for the Dodgers, and studying applied mathematics at NYU, Bob moved to Seattle in 1967 to study atmospheric sciences at UW. Encouraged by his wife Carol, he joined LLC’s New Yorker discussion class a few years ago and has taken at least one class per quarter ever since. Bob especially values LLC for the opportunity it provides to engage with friendly, thoughtful others, and enjoys serving on the LLC Board.
DEBORAH ANDERSON
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Debbie’s retirement since 2014 has been the fun and stimulation of taking classes through the LLC. As an MSW social worker Debbie developed and led many community-based programs for seniors on the Eastside for over 40 years. Eager to spend more time in her own NE Seattle community she was an early founder of NEST in 2009 (nestseattle.org), another local not for profit that contributes to building a vibrant community for seniors. There are many familiar faces at LLC from Debbie’s many years of NEST work. As a new Board member of LLC, Debbie is thankful to give back to an organization that has been so enriching.
LAURIE KOHLI
Laurie stumbled across a LLC brochure roughly 10 years ago, having retired from 39 years of practicing civil litigation in Seattle. She was swept up with the delight of learning so many new things from talented teachers and meeting new friends, and takes several classes each quarter. She is very pleased to have the chance to give back to an organization which transformed her retirement into something she truly relishes.
JANE LAMENSDORF-BUCHER
Jane Lamensdorf-Bucher was so thrilled to discover Lifetime Learning Center in 2019 that she took five classes her first quarter, and had to make tough choices to limit herself to “only” five. Having traveled all over the world and worked on state and local environmental issues, Jane is still excited by the diversity of stimulating topics offered at LLC, from history to literature to music to philosophical, ranging from serious and searching to entertaining and fun.
ANNE MOHUNDRO
Anne could be an honorary Seattle native after 55 years here. Her involvement with the LLC began more than 10 years ago with a memoir writing class in Ravenna. She enjoyed her classmates so much that she stuck with that class, eventually becoming the facilitator. When employed at Seattle University she took as many tuition-free classes as she could, her favorites being in adult education, spirituality, and counseling. Before that she was an English major and a Curriculum and Instruction graduate. She enjoys volunteering in Path with Art classes and is happily involved in the LLC publication, Life Lines. Anne joined the Board in 2023.
NICKIE MORAN
Nickie has been taking classes at LLC since 2015 and joined the Board in the fall of 2020. She taught political science at the UW and Green River CC for several years; however, the majority of her career was spent in public service, first with METRO and then with the State Department of Labor and Industries, retiring as a Regional Administrator. She especially values her connection with LLC because it helps her to stay engaged with her community and with ideas.
WALLE RALKOWSKI
Walle Ralkowski is a Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington. He has volunteered with many nonprofit organizations including the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Seattle International District Rotary Club, Susan G. Komen Foundation and PanCan (pancreatic cancer). Walle facilitates the Sunday New York Times discussion group at LLC and loves that the participants are so knowledgeable and bring diverse experiences and viewpoints.
JAN SUTTER
LLC feeds Jan’s love of learning. Seven years ago, after retiring from her law practice, at the urging of a neighbor who had discovered LLC, Jan enrolled in her first two classes. She’s been attending ever since, taking as many as five courses a term... in literature, history, current affairs, music. Jan has learned so much... not only from the dedicated teachers but from her fellow board members and her amazing classmates.