Volume 73 Issue 1

Sept./Oct. 2025

Calendar of Coming Events

Wednesday, September 10 - 2:00 pm - Bocce and Wine & Whine, City of Monterey Bocce Courts adjacent to Custom House Plaza. Click here for a map.

Wednesday, September 10 - 11:00 am - Planning Meeting for hikes for October through January, Chris Parmentier's home, 211 Soledad Drive, Monterey. Click here for a map.

Wednesday, September 17 - Mission Trail Park hike with Ardith Peck. 

Sunday, September 21 - 2:00 - 4:00 pm - September Branch Meeting and Fundraiser, Maureen Vieth's home, 25320 Boots Road, Monterey. Click here for a map.

Thursday, October 16 - RTC: San Carlos Cemetery. Details TBD.

Saturday, October 25 - 2:00 pm - October Branch Meeting, The Monterey Center for Spiritual Living, 400 W Franklin St, Monterey. (Click here for map.)

PRESIDENTS' MESSAGE

Greetings from Anne and Debbie...

We hope your summer was filled with fun adventures and spare time to catch up on some reading and relaxation time. 

As you read this, we will have recently enjoyed gathering for our annual branch picnic on August 23, at the Whispering Pines park. Details of other upcoming gathering opportunities are shared in this newsletter, including one planned by Anne and Deborah Stern - a Bocce and Wine & Whine event, which sounds like another great way to assemble with long-time and new AAUW friends. 

Our first branch meeting in September is the Tech Trek Fundraiser, which we hope everyone will attend. Anne and Debbie had the pleasure of spending a few hours at the week-long STEM adventure some rising eighth-graders experienced at UCSC; it was exhilarating and exciting to watch the campers focusing on their projects and reveling in the company of their new friends and instructors. 

Many of our branch members enthusiastically participated in one way or another in the Tech Trek camps, which we hope was rewarding and satisfying to Fatima and Gail, who, along with the members from other branches in the State, spent many hours making this opportunity happen for these young women. Thank you again, Fatima and Gail (Dorm Monitor), and Mary Cooper, Andrea Madsen, Nelly Wright, Suzanne Schmidt (Camp Nurse), Noelle Hetz, Kathryn Greenwald, and Cyndie Zikmund.

Sharyn Siebert is forming a new committee which will focus on Advocacy and Social Justice. We hope there will be enthusiastic participation in this new volunteering activity, which will focus on efforts of concern to all of us.

Best,

Anne Albano and Debbie Hobbs, Co-Presidents

* * *

Wonderful socializing, hearing first-hand about upcoming events, and enjoying delicious food offerings from our members describes our recent branch picnic.

CELEBRATE DEI

(DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION)

AAUW seeks to promote inclusion and awareness for all members to create an equitable, sustainable, and inclusive membership

reflective of today’s world.

Together, we can reach gender equality in education, economic security, and leadership. Learn more about our priority issues and how we work to achieve our mission: Equity for all.

Diversity

Acknowledges all the ways people differ: race, sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, and more.

Equity

Is often used interchangeably with equality, but there’s a core difference: Where equality is a system in which each individual is offered the same opportunities regardless of circumstance, equity distributes resources based on needs. We live in a disproportionate society, and equity tries to correct its imbalance by creating more opportunities for people who have historically had less access.

Inclusion

Is about diversity put into practice. It’s the act of welcoming, supporting, respecting, and valuing individuals and groups.

Joanne Webster, Coordinator - DEI

SEPTEMBER BRANCH MEETING

TECH TREK ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

Meet and Support the Campers

Date: Sunday, September 21

Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Maureen Vieth's home, 25320 Boots Road, Monterey. Click here for a map.

Thanks to your generosity, our branch sent eleven rising eighth grade girls to Tech Trek, AAUW's week-long STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Camp at no cost to them or their families. The campers came from the Peninsula, North County, and Salinas. To serve more girls in 2026, we need your continued financial support.

Our budding STEM professionals attended classes on environmental science, robotics, engineering, health science, marine biology, math, and more. They formed lasting friendships with like-minded girls, something STEM-focused girls often struggle to find in middle school and beyond. They networked with professional STEM women, participated in hands-on workshops, and heard about possible career paths. The campers worked hard and had fun.

“Thank you for sending me to Tech Trek. I loved my life science class and my favorite day was when we studied vaccines. I hope you continue to provide this opportunity.” - Fresno Camper

We've already been told that costs will increase in 2026 and we used the last of the Karen Hall Memorial Scholarship funds this year. To continue to invest in the future of young girls in our community, we need your help.  

Our fundraiser is on September 21. Please come. Meet our campers, hear their experiences, and give your financial support. Invite a friend, a GREAT way to introduce them to our mission and the awesome work our branch does. 

"I loved learning to solder in my circuits class, it was so much fun. Thanks for giving me the chance to go to camp." - Fresno Camper

If you can't make the fundraiser, you can still support the girls. Tech Trek is a 501(c)(3) so you may donate through your IRA or Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), or by sending a check. Our Tax ID # is: 68-0463071. We accept donations year round.



Make your check payable to: "AAUW-CA SPF" with "Tech Trek, Monterey Peninsula" in the memo line. Mail checks to:  Noelle Hetz, 200 Hawthorne St., Monterey, CA 93940.

Check out all the pictures from both the Fresno Camp and Camp Carson.

CLICK here to see the FRESNO PHOTOS.

CLICK here to see the SANTA CRUZ PHOTOS.

Fatima Dias and Gail Widener, Co-Directors - Tech Trek

OCTOBER BRANCH MEETING

THE DALAI LAMA: A MODEL OF COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP

Date:   Saturday, October 25

Time:   2:00 pm

Place:  The Monterey Center for Spiritual Living, 400 W Franklin St, Monterey. Click here for a map.

Join us for an evocative presentation by our speaker, Ginger Chih, about the Dalai Lama’s powerful example of what leadership based on compassion and selflessness could be for the 21st century.

Our speaker, Dr. Ginger Chih, author of The Dalai Lama: Leadership and the Power of Compassion, will be sharing photographs and stories from her 10-year journey documenting the Tibetan refugees in India and in Nepal.

In 2018, she had the good fortune of meeting the Dalai Lama and spent five weeks photographing him during the Tibetan New Year. Her book crafts an intricate tapestry of the Tibetan diaspora, finely woven through accounts from the Dalai Lama’s storied life, the everyday lives of the Tibetan people, and the insights of a leadership coach who has applied the principles of Buddhism in her professional life. Moving photographs of the author’s decade-long journey in India and Nepal provide deeper context into the Dalai Lama’s evolution into a dynamic global leader who has modernized Tibetan culture and shaped a thriving community. The Dalai Lama emerges as an influential global voice. He has written the forward to Ginger’s book.

Ginger’s family escaped China eight years before the Dalai Lama - first to Japan, then to the USA. She graduated from Mills College, holds an MBA from New York University, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. 

We will give away a copy of Ginger’s book as a door prize at the program meeting (must be present to win). Branch members who RSVP by October 17, 2025 to Joanne Webster, jwebster2717@gmail.com will be entered into our drawing. Guests are welcome to join us for the presentation.

A book signing will follow the presentation. If you’d like to purchase a book, please bring cash or check. The book costs $25.00. Through Ginger’s generosity, all profits of the book sales will be donated to our Branch.

Chris Parmentier and Joanne Webster, Co-Directors - Program Committee

BOCCE and WINE & WHINE

Date: Wednesday, September 10  

Time: 2:00 pm (4:00 for the Wine & Whine)

Location: City of Monterey Bocce Courts adjacent to Custom House Plaza. Click here for a map.

Join in on an afternoon of bocce ball on the public bocce courts located next to the Custom House Plaza in Monterey, followed by Wine & Whine in the nearby Jacks Monterey bar located in the Portola Hotel.    

Enjoy playing bocce - no experience necessary. Bocce, also known as bocce ball, is a lawn bowling sport with ancient origins, particularly popular in Italy. The game involves two teams attempting to roll or throw balls (bocce) closer to a target ball (pallino) than their opponents. Or, just meet your AAUW friends at 4:00 pm in the bar at the Portola Hotel (next to Peter B’s). Guests welcome!   

If you have bocce balls, please let Debra or Anne know, though they do have access to the sets stored at the State Historic Park Office. 

Parking: Best parking is in the Franklin Street Parking Garage directly across the walkway from the Convention Center. Street parking is also available, but likely has a time limit.

RSVP: Debra Stern at deborahstern1@gmail.com or Anne Albano at apalbano@att.net.

HIKING GROUP

September 3 - No hike due to holiday week 

September 10 - Planning Meeting for hikes from October through January 

Time: 11:00 am

Location: Chris Parmentier's home, 211 Soledad Drive, Monterey.

Bring your ideas for a hike/walk to lead and stay for lunch. RSVP to Chris at cmparmentier@gmail.com or (408) 427-2740. Click here for a map.

September 17 - Mission Trail Park with Ardith Peck 

Chris Parmentier and Ardith Peck, Coordinators - Hiking Group

*****

This hiking group walked from Lover's Point to Kissing Rock on a beautiful morning in August. Pictured left to right: Nancy Soulé, Marna Wheeler, Regina Lauderbach, Nancy Coss-Fitzwater, and Nancy Edwards.

*****

Carmel Beach Boardwalk hike on July 16:

Pictured: Randy Clark, Sharon Miller, Andrea Mennenga, Nancy Soulé, Kathy Greenwald, Nancy Coss-Fitzwater, and her sister Joanne. Not pictured Gilda Montesino. 

ROMANCING THE COAST

The following excursions are in the planning stages. Details of time, carpooling info, and the RSVP person will be forthcoming. Please watch for more information.

September: TBD

Thursday, October 16 - San Carlos Cemetery.

November - TBD: Peninsula Potters Studio

Please RSVP to Nancy Edwards, njfedwards44@gmail.com 

or 831 238 3603.

Nancy Edwards, Coordinator - RTC

*****

On July 25, AAUW members were treated to a gallery tour followed by a presentation by Craig Lauderbach at the Carmel Art Association. Craig, husband of our branch member, Regena Lauderbach, is a sculptor specializing in unique wood designs that have small pieces of many types of wood. 

The gallery tour was followed by lunch at the Village Corner.  

*****

On August 27, our members enjoyed the opportunity to tour Joby Aviation in Marina. Joby has been incredibly generous with time dedicated to AAUW. Prior to this tour, Joby led a workshop for the girls attending Tech Trek. Additionally, on September 20 Joby is hosting a fair focusing on Girls in Aviation, and has offered space for AAUW to promote Tech Trek.

GREAT DECISIONS

Enrollment for our 2026 group is now open!

If you would like to be a part of a group that explores global issues, Great Decisions group is for you. Every year we partner with the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) to participate in its Great Decisions Program. 

Starting in late January, we will meet to discuss eight current, controversial topics based on a booklet written by the FPA. Participants meet virtually for eight consecutive weeks and take turns leading the discussions. Our meetings are held on Thursday at 2 pm-3:30 pm. We start the meeting with the viewing of a short (20 min.) video followed by our group discussion. The meetings will be held on Zoom. Attendance is not mandatory for every meeting. We know things come up.

To learn more about the Great Decisions Program, you may view its website here.

Enrollment is now open. The last day to enroll is October 28. The cost of the booklet and materials is approximately $26.00.

Contact Maggie Pedersen at maggiep52@hotmail.com or (713) 206-6507 if you are interested in joining this enlightening activity.

If you miss the enrollment period, please contact Maggie Pedersen.

LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Last May the Local Scholarship Committee awarded twelve $2500 scholarships to students entering their junior year of college. This is the second year we have been able to offer this generous amount to the students and it is due to the generosity of our members and friends, and our supportive grantors, Pebble Beach Company Foundation and Monterey Peninsula Volunteer Service. The students were thrilled to receive our scholarships.

Thank you all who attended our Scholarship Program in May at the beautiful Casa Serrano venue. We met and heard the stories from five of our twelve 2025 scholarship recipients, and met their families.

It was heart-warming listening to their stories of determination, struggle, and success on their path to a four-year college education. Please see the complete list of our amazing 2025 Local Scholarship recipients here.

The names of the students pictured are as follows, left to right:

Marisa Paduani (Sally Hekkers Awardee), Dulce Madrigal, Jimena Hernandez-Tejeda, Josephine Joslyn, and Cynthia Gutierrez.

Your donations are putting us on course for another very successful year, but we are not there yet! Please note that we accept donations all year around. Local Scholarships Program is a 501(c)(3) program. You may donate through your IRA or Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). Tax ID # is: 81-0567656.

Kindly make your check payable to AAUW-MPB Local Scholarships and send to our treasurer: Kathy Poulson, 1092 Presidio Road, Pebble Beach, CA 93953-3124. Thank you all so much for your generous support.



Maggie Pedersen and Maureen Vieth, Co-Coordinators - Local Scholarships

GOURMET LUNCH/DINNER GROUP

Come one, come all! 

You do not have to be a “gourmet” cook...just love getting together with interesting people to enjoy good food. We all help, and it is always delicious.

Our AAUW Gourmet Group will be starting up again in September. Couples and singles are welcome. Last year we had two groups. One met on Sunday at 1:00 PM and the other on weekend evenings. We meet once per month in members’ homes and take turns hosting. 

The host selects a theme and contacts the members to find a date and divides the menu so that everyone cooks. Several more people have indicated an interest in joining, so hopefully we will have more groups this year.

If you didn’t have a chance to sign up with Julie Smith at the picnic August 23, please call or email Julie (831) 500-1785 smith.julie333@yahoo.com or Ann Donaldson (831) 372-4251 ann@wjdonaldson.com. If you do not want to commit to monthly dinners, you can be on a substitute list.

Ann Donaldson and Julie Smith, Co-Coordinators - Gourmet Groups

Branch Leaders for 2025 - 2026

Elected Board

Co-Presidents:

Anne Albano

Debbie Hobbs

Membership VPs:

Judy Nejasmich

Nancy Coss-Fitzwater

Treasurer:

Pat Fletcher

Secretaries:

Noelle Hetz

Andrea Madsen

Board Support

Historian:

Suzanne Schmidt

Appointed Directors

Program Planning:

Chris Parmentier

Joanne Webster

AAUW Funds:

Gabriele Simbriger-

Williams

Local Scholarships:

Maggie Pedersen

Maureen Vieth

Public Policy:

Sharyn Siebert

Tech Trek:

Fatima Dias

Gail Widener

Communications:

Caryl Rojas

Bonnie Lockwood

DEI

Joanne Webster

Activity Leaders

Books:

Morning Books -

Kathy Poulson

Banned Books -

Suzette Cavanaugh &

Kenis Dunne

Joy of Reading -

Julie Smith

Wednesday Afternoon - Nancy Soulé

Evening Books -

Kit Armstrong

Storytellers -

Arlene Coffman

Great Decisions:

Maggie Pedersen

Hiking:

Chris Parmentier &

Ardith Peck

Romancing the Coast:

Nancy Edwards

Gourmet Group:

Ann Donaldson &

Julie Smith

MEMBERSHIP

Directory Updates

If there are errors or changes in your directory listing, please tell us so corrections can be made. - Editors

New Members

Randy Clark

 Kate Conway

Mary Jo Cooper

Mary Federico

Lorraine Masi

Susie Woodford

*****

Online Directory

The password to our protected online directory on our website in the Member Center is on the second page of your pink membership directory. (If you cannot find it or do not have a directory, call Judy Nejasmich at 831 238-2280.) This is where all members' contact information is readily accessible.

http://mpb-ca.aauw.net

NEW MEMBER BIOS

Randy Clark (Randall)

Randy was born in San Francisco and has spent much of her life in California, mostly in Marin County. She married Douglas in 1974. He died in 2011. They did not have any children. She worked for many years as a banker for Wells Fargo Bank and a bookkeeper for various companies. In 1995, they decided to take an early retirement and spent four years driving around the United States in their motorhome, which was an amazing experience. 



Upon returning home in 1999, Randy went back to college and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. For the next five years, she worked as a Service Coordinator for Parnow Friendship House, a low-income senior housing community in San Rafael.

In 2005, they again retired and moved to Prescott, Arizona where Randy hiked, played bridge, read, gardened, and volunteered for various organizations including People Who Care, Coalition for Compassion, and Justice and Sharlot Hall Museum. 

They continued to travel in the US, and worldwide until his death. She did not travel for a couple of years; however, since has visited over 30 countries on her own, with Road Scholar and Overseas Adventure Travel as well as by RV around the Western US. In fact, Her most interesting adventure was walking the entire Camino de Santiago alone in 2014.

She currently lives at Canterbury Woods in Pacific Grove and loves the Monterey Peninsula. Her interests include book groups, hiking, Romancing the Coast, Great Decisions and may expand to other activities as she becomes more settled.

Kate Conway

Kate graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2006 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. She lives in Monterey and has interest in a variety of the activities and programs our Branch offers. Her mother, Mary Conway, is also a Branch member.

Mary Jo Cooper

Mary Jo graduated from California State University Sacramento with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1994. She also completed an MBA. She lives in Monterey and is interested in many of our Branch's activities and programs, including book groups, hiking, public policy, gourmet food, Romancing the Coast, Local Scholarships and Tech Trek.

Mary Frederico

After attending CSUMB I determined I wanted to stay in the area and contribute to the community. I was soon hired by Central Coast Community Energy (then Monterey Bay Community Power), and have spent the last seven years working as an analyst there, working to provide clean and affordable energy for the five county area.

Mary also is a passionate reader and crafter. Any time I can find I am devouring a book or working on my latest creation. 

She is Interested in the evening book group, Great Decisions, hiking, RTC, Gourmet, Program committee, and Tech Trek.

Lorraine Masi

Lorraine graduated from UC San Diego in 1987 with a BS in Computer Engineering. She lives in Salinas and is interested in several AAUW activities, including hiking, book groups, public policy, gourmet food, Great Decisions, Romancing the Coast, Tech Trek, and the Program Committee.

Nancy Coss-Fitzwater and Judy Nejasmich, Co-VP - Membership

Board Meetings

Sept. 4 at 1:00 pm

CFMC, 2354 Garden Rd.

***

Oct. 2 at 1:00 pm

CFMC, 2354 Garden Rd.

Websites

AAUW-MCB

https://mpb-ca.aauw.net/

==========

AAUW-CA

http://aauw-ca.org

November/December

Messenger

Please email articles for the November/December newsletter to

Caryl Rojas and

Bonnie Lockwood by

October 10.

AAUW DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS

The full amount of National dues you paid is tax deductible as a charitable donation. (This does not include State and Local dues.) In addition, any donations to our charitable funds will be tax deductible for a tax year if paid by December 31st of that year and if you itemize deductions. Note that a donation to any of these three areas can also be made in honor or in memory of a friend or family member. More information and a donation form (optional) may be found at this link to our website. If making a donation directly from an IRA as a qualified charitable donation (QCD), consult your tax advisor or www.irs.gov for more information.

Tech Trek

Make check payable to "AAUW-CA SPF"

with "Tech Trek, Monterey Peninsula"

in the memo line.

Send to Noelle Hetz,

200 Hawthorne St.,

Monterey, CA 93940.

(Tax ID # is 68-0463071)

AAUW Fund

Donate at aauw.org, or write a check payable to "AAUW".

Send your check to Gabriele Simbriger-Williams,

1822 Links Drive,

Seaside, CA 93955.

Local Scholarships

Make check payable to "AAUW-MPB Local Scholarships".

Send your check to

Kathy Poulson,

1092 Presidio Road,

Pebble Beach, CA 93953.

(Tax ID # is 81-0567656)

NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE

Newsletters are published around the 1st of the months of September, November, January, March and May. There will be short "eblasts", containing reminders or special announcements. If you do not receive a newsletter, please contact us so we can fix it. Please note that newsletter content will relate only to AAUW and branch matters, a policy of AAUW National.

Bonnie Lockwood and Caryl Rojas, Co-Editors - Newsletter