2023-2025 District Nine Board Candidates

Candidates for the 2023-2025 District Nine Board of Directors:

Governor Mary Black Pearson will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors in the role of Immediate Past Governor without a vote.

Governor-Elect Shirley Raymer will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors in the role of Governor without a vote.

Proposed slate as recommended by the Nominating Committee: (Nominations may still be made from the floor during the business session on Friday evening, April 21, 2023. The positions for parliamentarian and secretary are non-voting positions and will be filled by appointment by the incoming Governor, Shirley Raymer.)

Governor-Elect

Kimberly Kierce has been a member of Altrusa International of Richardson since 2001. She served as in all Club Board positions including Club Treasurer and Foundation Treasurer. Kimberly has also served as Chair of many committees over the years.

Kimberly is a dual member with Altrusa Collin County and Altrusa Denton County. where she served as the Altrusa Denton County Club Treasurer and Secretary. For Altrusa District Nine, Kimberly served as the Service Committee Chair (2009-2011, 2011-2013), member of the Revitalization Committee (2013-2015 and 2015-2017). She served as District Treasurer (2017-2019), Second Vice Governor (2019-2021) and surrently serves as the First Vice Governor for District Nine (2021-2023) and as the communications liaison and Program Chair.

Ms. Kierce earned a BA in Psychology from the University of North Texas; Certified Municipal Court Clerk (CMCC) from Texas State University; and Certified Court Manager Certification (CCMC) from the National Center of State Courts. She has 29 years of experience in municipal courts management and is the Court Administrator for the City of Richardson Municipal Court. Ms. Kierce serves as the Treasurer (2017-2021) for her professional association, Texas Court Clerks Association (TCCA), in which she has also serves on the TCCA Annual Conference Planning Committee (2010-2021). She also served as TCCA North Texas Chapter President (2007-2014) and has received several awards/recognitions from the Association over the years.

Although Ms. Kierce is a native Texan, she loves to travel and see the world. Her adventures have taken her all over the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and most of Europe. She is an avid Dallas Stars Hockey Fan and fur-mom to two adorable Maine Coons cats, Mandy Jane and Tyler Skye.

First Vice Governor

Linda Hurt has been an Altrusan with the DFW club since 2002. She has served in many positions including President and Treasurer of both the Club and the Foundation. Linda is currently a District Nine Director and has previously served as District Nine Treasurer (2011-2013); Conference Treasurer, 2016; Conference Registration Chair; and Mamie L. Bass Award Coordinator, 2017-2019. Linda has held board positions with the Center for Transforming Lives (formerly known as the YWCA of Fort Worth and Tarrant County) where she was the President of the Board, and Emporia State University Foundation (her alma mater) where she has worked on the Finance Committee since 2015 and the Executive Committee since 2018.

Linda holds a BS in Business degree with an accounting major from Emporia (Kansas) State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. She spent her entire career with BNSF Railway Company and its predecessor companies, beginning in 1977. She held the positions of VP-Investor Relations from 2007-2010 and Treasurer from 2000-2007. She represented BNSF Railway on the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust from 2004-2007. After her retirement in 2010 Linda has enjoyed doing a lot of volunteer work (especially with Altrusa), traveling with her husband and family, participating in Bible studies, playing a little golf and babysitting her two-year-old grandson.

Second Vice Governor

Guadalupe Carvajal has been a member of Altrusa International Club of Dallas since 2002. She has served in several Club and Foundation Board positions including President, Vice President, Director, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer. She has also served as Chair of several club committees, including Membership, Communications, Finances, and Ways and Means, and Chaired numerous fundraisers and service projects. Guadalupe is currently the President of the Dallas Club and Director on the District Nine Board.

Treasurer

Elle Reese has been an Altrusan since 2016 with Altrusa International of Dallas, Texas Inc. She is currently Immediate Past President and Communications Chair. Elle has previously served as Club Treasurer, and Foundation Treasurer (twice), and is involved every year in the Dallas luncheon fund-raiser. Elle Reese provides technical consulting and bookkeeping services to small businesses via her own business, and provides technical support to her local community when needed. During her term as President she was instrumental in development of a format for use of technology allowing the club to conduct meetings in a hybrid format using zoom.

Director

Candidates for the position of Director (in alphabetical order)

Each delegate and person eligible to vote will vote for two (2) candidates for Director.

The two that receive the most votes will hold the position of Director for the 2023-2025 biennium.

Frances Dalbey became an Altrusan in 2003. She served as President of the Greenville club in 2009-2010. Her theme was “Light your World.” This has been a motto that she always attempts to live by. She has served in most offices within the club, except Recording Secretary. She has served as committee chair or co-chair for all four club committees. She is currently serving as Foundation Treasurer.

Frances has served at the District level for several years, having helped with First Timers events, communications workshops, memorial presentations, District Conference program, Communications Co-chair, and most recently Service Chair. Frances attended several international conventions and enjoyed representing her club.

Frances is the Outreach Specialist for a local hospital, she has worked in retail management and non-profit. She has always been involved in her community; from an early age working in her church Frances learned that not everyone is at the same place in life. She was taught that it was our job to help where and when we can. She is also involved in several chambers and Daybreak Rotary. Frances and her husband, Rich, live in Greenville with their four-legged children.

Michelle DiGaetano has been an Altrusan with the Temple club since 2013. She is currently Immediate Past President. Michelle has been President, President-Elect, Vice President, Director, Club Corresponding Secretary and served on the Altrusa Temple Foundation board. Served on the Taste of Holidays fund raiser as; Invitations Co-Chair-2017, Invitations Chair-2018, Underwriting Co-Chair-2019 and Underwriting Chair-2020. Michelle has served on the District Membership 2.0 committee.

Community involvement: Michelle has served on the Temple Community Clinic Board since 2013 and is a Past President. Altrusa International of Temple supports the Temple Community Clinic thru volunteer hours with the annual Caring Ball and the Living Well in Bell health initiative.

Laura Frias has been a member of Altrusa International of Southwest Dallas County since 2008. She has held various positions in the Club including President, Treasurer and Director and is currently President of the Club Foundation Board. She has served on various club committees as well.

Laura has been a retail store manager for many years. In her free time she enjoys walks with her fur baby, listening to true crime podcast and spending time with family and friends.

Betty Sainz has been a very active Altrusan with the Garland club since 2013. She is currently holding the positions of immediate Past President and Parliamentarian. Betty has been President, President-Elect and Director on the club board. She has been active as Communications Committee Chair and publishes the club directory and the monthly newsletter. Throughout her years in the Garland club, she has been very active on most of the service projects and a member of the Fundraising and Membership committees.

Betty was Garland’s liaison in helping form the Rockwall/Lake Cities club with Greenville in 2013 and was a charter member. She is currently a dual member of Lake Cities and is the Recording Secretary. Previous positions for Lake Cities were Treasurer and Fundraising.

In District Nine, Betty was asked to be a member of the Service and Marketing Committee. She also participated in the Membership 2.0 Discovery Team and is currently on the Membership Team Leadership committee. Other District Nine commitments were Conference Co-Chair for 2018 & 2023 District Conferences. Altrusa has become a very important service organization for Betty. She enjoys the camaraderie and friendships she has gained by being an Altrusan.