Soroptimist International
Sierra Nevada Region
2020-2022
Board of Directors
Governor
Sarah first joined Soroptimist in 2004 and was a member for 4 years. She then rejoined in 2014. She is currently a member of Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows. She has held the positions of SITM Corresponding Secretary 2005-2006, SITM Vice-President Service 2006-2007, she also served as SI Reno’s President 2015-2016, District 5 Director 2016-2018, and Governor Elect 2018-2020.
Sarah was Born in Southern California and moved to Nevada in 1995 and has been here since. She is single, no kids, 2 big cats. Her hobbies include reading good novels, knitting with the same group of gals since 2004, playing Mahjongg with another group and weaving on her own. She is the principal of Carrasco Law Practice, LLC specializing in real estate, bankruptcy, divorce and probate matters. For entertainment and fun she attends annually a fiber (knitting) convention in Santa Clara, tradition for at least the last ten years.
My goal for the biennium is to keep us all connected and engaged with the tools to help us accomplish the Soroptimist mission during these times of uncertainty.
Governor Elect
Lisa Fitzgerald was introduced to Soroptimist in an S Club in 1972. She joined Soroptimist as a member in 1982 and again in 1996. She is currently a member of SI Bidwell Rancho. She was S Club (SI Oakdale) President in 1973, SI Chico Director Alt Delegate, Director Delegate, Vice President, President Elect, President 2010, Secretary & Home & Garden Co-Chair multiple times, Awards & Recognition Chair multiple times, Program Chair multiple times, Membership Chair, plus Chaired many various fundraising committees over the decades. In SI Bidwell Rancho – Chico she has held the positions of Secretary, Parade Committee Chair and Publicity Chair. For the Sierra Nevada Region Lisa has served as 2016 Coordinator Strategic Planning, 2017 Facilitated Region Hurricane Harvey Relief/Recovery effort, 2018 Facilitated Region Carr Fire Relief/Recovery effort, 2018 Facilitated Region Camp Fire Relief/Recovery effort, SNR District 1 Director, Ad Hoc Committee Youth Fund, Ad Hoc Committee Stop Trafficking, 2018 & 2019 Marketplace Coordinator, 2020 – 2022 SNR Federation Liaison/Chair Program Committee, 2020 – 2022 Soroptimist Celebrating Success Award Committee, and finally 2020 – 2022 SNR Governor Elect.
Lisa has a BA in Latin American Studies from CSU, Chico; Minor in Spanish, Life Community College Teaching Credential in Food, Food Service & Related Technologies. She has been Department Coordinator and Instructor at Butte College, Moderator Lecturer at UC Berkeley Extension for 2 years, and a restaurant consultant for 10 years. She spent 15 years as Marketing & Alternative Revenue Director for a radio station group with 5 different formats, in 2 languages, and an Independent Unemployment Insurance Hearing Representative for 14 years. She is currently owner of Big Chico Creek Resources Event & Advertising Agency as well as Workflow Analyst consulting.
Fun fact: Lisa spent her “senior” year of high school attending Modesto Jr College.
From the time my son was 10 and could stand on a milk crate, until his late teens, we served food on the Friday after Thanksgiving at the Jesus Center for SI Chico. And, for many years my daughter and I, during the same age frame, wrapped gifts in the Mall for SI Chico. They were our special holiday “give back” tradition. My husband and children continue to work at our clubs’ fundraisers.
Secretary
My name is Sarah Lee and I am your SNR Secretary. I have been a proud member of SI Sacramento since 2015. I was invited to attend SI Sacramento’s Live Your Dream luncheon by my dear friend and fellow Soroptimist, Idelle Claypool. That luncheon was so inspiring and it became clear the Soroptimist mission and ideals aligned with my own and I joined SI Sacramento one month later.
Since joining, I have served our Club on the Board as President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President and Corresponding Secretary. I have chaired the Live Your Dream Committee for three years, the International & Goodwill Committee and the Program Committee. I have served, at one time or another, on most of our club’s other committees and I have been a facilitator for multiple Dream It Be It sessions. I am an active participant in all Club Fundraising and an enthusiastic supporter of building deeper friendships within our club through our Club Social Events.
I have attended most SNR Conferences and Development Retreats since joining Soroptimist International in 2015, representing SI Sacramento twice as a Delegate. I was a 2019 SNR Development Retreat Workshop Co-Presenter and prepared the Secretary Workshop for the 2020 Virtual SNR Development Retreat. I have served on the SNR Nominating Committee. I have been a consistent sponsor of the SNR Conferences. I have attended three District meetings since joining in 2015 and attended the Charter and Installation Dinner in 2019 of our Region’s newest club, SI South Yuba.
In 2018, I attended the SIA Biennial Conference in Yokahama, Japan as a Delegate and I look forward to attending future SIA conferences!
In addition to my Soroptimist family, I’m blessed with my devoted husband, Mark, and four wonderful children; Kali, Meghan, Jakob and Hana. Mark is a realtor and an ordained elder in the Presbyterian church. This year, our oldest, Kali, gave us our first grandchild and we couldn’t be more delighted! Kali and her husband live only ten minutes from us in Carmichael, CA. Our second oldest daughter, Meghan, currently lives in Iowa and works as a narrator for Audible books and is a published travel blogger. Our son, Jakob, works for me and last year obtained his NMLS license (National Mortgage Licensing). Our youngest, Hana, is a senior in high school this year and is exploring what comes next.
I hold an NMLS license as a Mortgage Loan Originator and I’m currently a Branch Manager for Guild Mortgage. I have been a Loan Originator for seventeen years and in management for five of those years. In 2018, I was nominated by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a Woman of the Year Candidate and with my team of twelve, raised $59,000 for cancer research in the span of 8 weeks (my daughter, Kali, was my campaign manager!). As a result, I was able to name an LLS Research Grant, which I named after my Pop’s two brothers- we had lost both of my uncles to cancer and they were my campaign inspiration.
As a younger woman, I studied music with an emphasis in vocal performance. A fun fact about me happened in 2003, when I was eight months pregnant with my youngest child. At the time, I was a member of the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra and we had been invited to perform Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall. Performing at Carnegie Hall was on my bucket list and I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity! We found an OBGYN in New York (just in case) and my conductor was a nervous wreck I would go into labor on stage. Thankfully, Hana waited until we were back in Sacramento to arrive and I now have a priceless memory of performing at Carnegie Hall!
Treasurer
Sheron joined Soroptimist in 1994. She is a member of Soroptimist International of Bidwell Rancho-Chico. Sheron has been Treasurer in her club (many times), President (2 years), Director (4 years) and Chairman of their Micro Brew Fest. She also served as SNR Finance Chair 2012-2014.
Sheron has worked in the banking and accounting industries for over 30 years and recently purchased the CPA firm that she has managed for the past 6 years. She has a BS in Business Administration and her CPA license from the State of California. She is a member of the AICPA, the Cal Society of CPAs and a prior member of the Institute of Management Accountants. She served for 10 years as treasurer of the Girl Scouts of Northern CA Service Unit in Chico.
She has been married over 50 years, is mother of 3 wonderful children, proud grandma of 5 grandchildren and recently great grandmother of a beautiful little girl.
District 1 Director
Kerri Cobb is currently a member of SI Susanville. Her main reason for choosing Soroptimist as her service organization is due to the International aspects and her interest in International Women’s issues. As a woman raised in Rural America, the opportunity to gain knowledge and have a voice on International Women’s issues is a powerful motivator.
Kerri has served as President, Vice President, Parliamentarian, S Club Advisor, Margarita Fest Chair, Girls & Teen Self Esteem Chair, Career Fair Chair, Live Your Dream Award Chair, Violet Richardson Award Chair, and Ruby Award Chair. Region activity includes Chair for the Violet Richardson Award, District Meeting Host and Attendee since joining in 2007. She attended the SIA Convention in 2010 as the Club President.
Kerri attended Lassen High School and has some community college classes. Her careers have given her experience in Retail Management, Business Bookkeeping, US Bank Management 16 years, Mortgage Loan Originator Axia Home Loans, Lassen County Chamber of Commerce Board Member 4 years, 2018 Candidate for Lassen County Supervisor, Lassen County Fire Safe Council Board Member. She is currently a Mortgage Loan Originator for Axia Home Loans in Susanville.
District 2 Director
Gale joined Soroptimist International of Auburn in 1993, and learned the history and workings of Soroptimist on her first committee of SOLT, under the tutelage of Marion Glover, Past Governor of SNR. Self-employed with a bookkeeping business, Gale needed to change hours, and transferred her membership to SI Historic Auburn (they met at 7:00 am, and yes, Gale did wear her pajamas to a meeting!). After moving to Grass Valley, it was natural to transfer her membership up the hill, and there, Gale has served on many committees, as well as President of SI Grass Valley.
It is the ‘Rosie the Riveter’, flexing her ‘can do’ attitude muscle to get a job done efficiently and effectively that makes Soroptimist appealing to Gale. The President’s Appeal projects have always been her favorite projects. “To work together on a global basis to make a difference for women is something that just lights me up on the inside!”
When not working on a Soroptimist project, Gale and her husband of 35 years, Jeff, have several businesses that keep them on the go. Their favorite to date is renting out their two travel trailers. “Delivering a trailer to a guest family is perfect – we get to see some beautiful country in Northern California, meet new people, then go home and sleep in our own bed!”
Combining her aromatherapy business with her herb and fairy gardens is also one of Gale’s favorite things to do. “My mom gave me a counted cross stitch picture she made – A Garden is a thing of Beauty and a Job Forever! – but I never get tired of playing with the plants!”
Her only complaint is that she wants to find a word to replace ‘work’. “We work hard at our businesses, but they are fun, and ‘work’ doesn’t give you a sense of anything other than hardship. And play doesn’t take what we do seriously… you know – when you ‘work’ on a Soroptimist project with your friends – it sounds arduous. But you don’t want to say you ‘play’. That doesn’t describe it either! I’m open to suggestions!”
District 3 Director
Idelle Claypool joined Soroptimist in 2010. Her current club is SI SacramentoShe has held the club positions of President, 1st VP, Board Member, Co-chair See’s fundraiser and Attendance & Hospitality Committee, plus Chair of the following committees: Scholarship Committee, Project Selection Committee, Finance Committee.
Her family has been the focus and pride of her life. She has a fun loving, supportive husband with whom to journey through life. She has a brilliant, but humble and always kind, 38 year old son who just moved back to CA from NY City mid-pandemic to work for Google. She has an accomplished 30 year old daughter who works as a Special Assistant to the CA Secretary of Dept. of Food & Ag and who does things like volunteer as a crisis counselor assisting rape victims.
She was born in Chicago, raised mostly in Southern California and wandered to Northern California during her college years and found her home. She began her career as a CPA, working in public accounting and for the California State Auditor. After her youngest child was born 30 years ago, she began her real estate career. She has since represented her youngest child and her husband in a home purchase.
Fun Fact: Although she has not practiced in over 30 years, she has a black belt in Aikido! Don’t mess with her!
In 2010, a clever Soroptimist received a “Just Sold” postcard and contacted Idelle to let her know that I looked like the kind of woman that might want to be a Soroptimist and invited me to an SI Sacramento meeting. The rest is history.
District 4 Director
Connie Pool has been a Soroptimist since 2012. She is a member of SI Lincoln She has held the club positions of club delegate, recording secretary, vice president, and president. She was previously region chair of Celebrating Success.
Connie was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and moved to California in her early 20s. She lived in the Bay Area until 1990 when she moved to Lincoln. She graduated from Foothill College in Los Altos, and Golden Gate University with an accounting degree. She is currently Vice President of Finance at RobbJack Corporation, a small manufacturing firm, where she has been employed for 34 years. (Space X uses the cutting tools made by RobbJack to make the coolant grooves in their rockets. That means we help keep them cool!) She plans on retiring in 4 more years and can’t wait! She has been married since 2000 to her husband Danny. She has 2 step kids (one boy, one girl), and 3 awesome grandsons.
Fun Fact: She grew up on a dairy farm (60 cows) in a small Utah town called Payson. We sold our milk to Safeway.
I love being a Soroptimist and feel that my membership has contributed to my success as a person, in my job, and in my community.
District 5 Director
Susan hails from Juneau, Alaska, where she held both instrument and choral positions in the Juneau Schools for over twenty years. She was a frequent artistic director and workshop conductor with the Juneau Lyric Opera and the University of Alaska Southeast. She was also a national consultant for Yamaha Music where she trained teachers on Yamaha’s Music in Education Technology Assisted Music program (MIE) and developed curriculum. Susan has been a real estate agent, owned and operated a remote fishing lodge, and assisted her late husband in operating a successful construction business.
Currently, Susan has been conducting the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus for the past seventeen years. She sings soprano with UNR Symphonic Chorus and TOCCATA and operates a private voice studio.
Susan occasionally appears onstage with the Truckee Community Theatre.
Finally, Susan is an avid tennis player and Alpine skier. She best describes herself as a multi-faceted Renaissance woman. Her heart aches for the less fortunate in this world. Soroptimist is an avenue which effectively improves the lives of women and girls through our programs that don’t just offer hand-outs, but a hand-up. She is excited to be part of such an encouraging vision. After losing her husband in 2003, her world was pretty dark. Soroptimist has helped lift that fog by giving her a focus on something much bigger than herself.
District 6 Director
Stacey Yurmanovic-Sawyer joined Soroptimist in 1995. She is currently a member of SI Metropolitan Las Vegas She has held all club level positions and this is her fourth time as a District Director. She has also served as E-Blast Coordinator & SOLT Coordinator for the region.
Stacey was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She moved to Northern Nevada in 1994 (Elko, NV) and stayed there for 23 years. She has a long career in Broadcast Radio and Casino/Brand Marketing. She moved back to Southern Nevada in 2016 to take on a Special Events Management position at a famous hotel casino here in Las Vegas. She has since transitioned to a Customer Success Management position with a technology company working with several casinos world wide.
Fun Fact about Stacey: She was very active in community theatre and loves being on stage and also backstage doing tech work. Her father was a Stage Manager in Las Vegas for many years and she learned from the best! She has several stories of “Brushes with Fame”. She also loves to roller skate and Love Love LOVES Roller Derby!!
Parliamentarian
Terrel Locke has been a member of Soroptimist since 2005. She is currently a member of SI Marysville-Yuba City. She has held every position within her club and has served the region on the Endowment Committee, District 2 Director and Parliamentarian.
Terrel is the mother of two extraordinary young women and has one awesome granddaughter who is 5. She is lucky enough to be able to be a big part of her granddaughter’s life and helps her with her Kindergarten distance learning.
Her favorite activites and hobbies are cooking, arts and crafts, reading, camping and hiking. Since her retirement, she is also learning to be a gardener and baker.
Terrel recently retired from the City of Youba City after 19 years of service. She was the Assistant to the City Manager in charge of the City Clerk operations. She was also elected City Clerk for 8 years. Working for local government was a phenomenal experience — no day was ever the same. There are so many opportunities to give back to the community and make a difference.
Prior to that, she worked for Nevada County, in Social Services and the Auditor’s Office. She also owned a catering business with a friend for six years.
Fun fact: Terrel had the opportunity to live in Berlin Germany for two years after graduating from High School. She was invited to stay with a friend and her family and go to college. This was before The Wall came down. While there, she was an extra in a movie that was being filmed. They wanted English speaking people. It starred Alan Arkin and Louise Fletcher. Brooke Shields was also in it, but ended up being replaced and isn’t listed. If you know where to look, you can actually see her in a couple of scenes. Here is the link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079504/ . It’s not a good movie, so she doesn’t recommend watching it!
Terrel learned about Soroptimist after her business catered for a big District meeting in Grass Valley way back in the late 1990s. Listening to the program and discussions that were occurring was very inspiring, and she never forgot about it. She was able to join the Marysville-Yuba City Soroptimists after her children were older.
