UWPIAA Board of Governors Team

I live in Belgium but spent 10 years living in México. I have 3 wonderful daughters, Anneleen – Cast ’10B, Katelen Cast ’10B, & PR and Alexandra – UWP Camp and a grandson Mathías. One of my passions is travelling and reconnecting with friends and family. Cooking, gardening, and walks on the beach are all favourite ways to spend my time and my favourite place is where sun, sea and mountains meet. I am honoured to have been invited as the Alumni Community Chair. I so look forward connecting and reconnecting with many alumni and helping other alumni around the world to find those with common interests and to learn from those unlike ourselves. I am excited about the opportunity to show alumni how the new UWPIAA can be relevant to them through the new programs and offerings.

I’m a Marylander who now lives in Colorado with my alumnus hubby, Ken Connors (’89E) and our daughter and son who are UWP Jr and Cast K/T alumni and host siblings for some pretty awesome alumni spanning 10 stagings from ’15B to ’20A. I’ve been a Cast Rep since our 5 year reunion and delight in helping keep our group connected as well as supporting the connections and communication of our alumni worldwide. I was honored to serve on the Future Committee as the Communications Subcommittee Chair. We were challenged to reinvent the association to address what alumni most wanted from the organization and the new structure is a result of that effort. I joined the board in 2022 as the Communications Chair and it is truly a pleasure to give back to the organization and to other alumni. I am working to improve and strengthen our information channels and foster connections with and share about the initiatives led by alumni and my colleagues on the board.

I live in my hometown Nenagh Co, Tipperary Ireland. I am a professional photographer. Lifelong learning is a passion and I love the outdoors, movies, cooking, art and of course travel! Having worked on the new Vision, Mission and Strategy for the association, I am excited to see it come to to life and to deliver the new association we set out to create given the survey results and brief handed down to us. Through the work of implementing the desire of alumni and shaping the future structure of the association it will be exciting to see the new vision in action and especially excited for the possibilities of Annual Alumni Week, where we can deliver an exciting schedule similar to our shared experiences back on the road!

I am a lover of family, travel, cooking, nature and spending time with friends. I am the proud Mom of two amazing kids (now adults!). My husband and I share our time between our house in Warren, Vermont and an apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. My work and my passion is helping people better understand how their cultural differences impact the way they collaborate and work together. Our differences, when understood, can be our biggest strength! I believe now, more than ever, we need to be connected to each other globally and for me Up With People alumni are a big part of that. We can make so much more of an impact together than we ever could individually. I look forward to making an impact with you!

I live in Toronto, Canada with my two cats and great view of the city skyline. When not working for the UWPIAA, I serve on other local boards in a variety of capacities. One of my favourite things about Toronto is the dine-around experience and the numerous food festivals. I continue to be excited to assist with bringing the new vision of the UWPIAA to life.

Originally from New York State, I have lived in Nashville, Tennessee for the past 35+ years. Although healthcare administration has been my profession, my passions are the performing/visual/literary arts and travel. One of my most exciting travel experiences was in 2019. I knew Joseph Miklave, my maternal great grandfather, had a Slovenian family name of Miklavc, and I had a picture of a Miklavc gravestone taken somewhere in Slovenia. Using this information, and a whole lot of googling/messaging, I tracked down a relative in Slovenia! Working together (my new-found relative and I are kindred spirits), we put together a family tree dating back to 1569. I traveled to Slovenia in 2019 and met 80 cousins!!! Subsequently, kindred spirit cousin has visited our US Miklave family and eight of the US Miklaves have traveled to Slovenia! In 2017 and 2018, I was fortunate to to participate in three UWP eXperience European tours, where I made new UWP friends (both alumni and the parents of cast members). I want others within the UWP network to have similar opportunities! In addition to a cadence of fun reunions, I hope I can support UWPIAA as it facilitates engagement through frequent communication, interesting events, opportunities to help others, professional and “area of interest” knowledge sharing, and social connections throughout the entire alumni community. When I am at home, I enjoy volunteering with start up companies and walking my pandemic rescue pup, Miklave.

My passion for volunteering and non-profit work has been a lifelong thread, woven into my DNA even before the transformative year with Up with People’s Cast ’91B. From serving as Cast Rep since 2006, neighborhood associations and Parent Teacher Associations to church groups, music organizations, and scouting, I’ve consistently been involved in giving back to the community. With my husband of 30 years, we have raised three wonderful children who remain close to home. Family is my cornerstone, and you’ll often find me at large gatherings, frequently hosting them at our cherished family lake house in Hot Springs, Arkansas. My love for animals is legendary, earning me the nickname “Ellie May” from family. My current furry companions include Sadie the Great Pyrenees and Siamese siblings Cinnamon and Sugar. A lifelong equestrian, I have had the privilege of leading a Therapeutic Riding Center, where horses helped teach life and social skills to at-risk youth, and provided therapy for children and adults with special needs. Today, I apply my talents in web design, SEO, and digital marketing as a contractor. As the Learning Programs Chair, I am excited to assemble a diverse team to create engaging virtual and in-person learning opportunities. Recognizing the introverts among us, I am dedicated to “lowering the barrier to entry” with smaller, accessible activities that foster connection and learning for all alumni. I am honored to represent all alumni as a member of the Board of Governors.

Throughout my life I have had the privilege to live in different countries around the world and experience different cultures. Born and raised in Australia, I moved to the USA and joined UWP in 1994 as a rookie PR / EC staff member. I was with UWP for 7 years in a variety of Road and Office roles. In 2005 I moved to Qatar to work on the Asian Games as the Progam Manager for the Youth Camp, originally planning on only staying for two years. Well that two years turned into an 18 year adventure culminating in working for the FIFA World Cup Doha 2022 as the Training Manager for the Volunteer Program. I then moved to Germany where I now live. I have two amazing sons, Alexander who lives in the UK and Walker in Denver. My UWP experience definitely shaped my life both personally and professionally. I am thrilled to be playing a more active role in the UWPIAA and look forward to engaging and working with the amazing Alumni Family around the world.

I’ve been on the board 3 other times as technology or web chair! First in the 90s, then 2000s then 2010s and now 2020s. I travelled with ’88E, and was the guitar player. I spent most of my adult life working as a programmer or systems administrator, even though I also write, record, play, and produce music (mostly jazz and Latin). I was married in Cuba, have a house there in Havana, but live most of the year in Billings Montana. I have a daughter (Helen Griffin), who travelled in ’19B, and my son (Jon Anthony), who is still in school in Billings.

After living in the Vancouver area for more than 25 years, my husband and I recently relocated to beautiful Vancouver Island, where we are enjoying our early retirement lifestyle, along with our 6 year old Bernedoodle, Murphy. Our 3 kids are in university, each spreading their wings and leaving the nest as they invest in their futures. We love to travel both near and far, and seems we continue to be drawn to the ocean and beautiful beaches, while also fitting in time to visit friends and family along the way. After a 30 year career in Human Resources, I am pleased to be joining the UWPIAA Board in the role of Professional Development. I’m excited to work with a team of volunteer alumni to help build an infrastructure that will help to connect alumni with similar career interests across the globe, creating opportunities for networking, international assignments, and/or remote work opportunities. Thank you for the opportunity to represent and I look forward to working with you all.