October 2006
FMCA’s Executive Board is made up of four nationally elected officers “” the national president, senior vice president, secretary, and treasurer “” and the 10 national area vice presidents, who are elected by their respective areas. (The immediate past national president also serves as a non-voting member.) As a result of changes in the FMCA Bylaws that instituted two-year terms, only five areas held a national vice president election this year. The abbreviated resumes that follow are for the newly elected or re-elected national vice presidents. They are being provided to help FMCA members become acquainted with these national vice presidents. The other five will be provided next year after those elections take place.
(Note: Committee appointments for 2006-2007 were still in the approval process at press time, so that information was not available for this article.)
Tom Ainsley, F182814
Western Area
Tom and his wife, Joan, joined FMCA in 1994. Prior to his recent election for a two-year term as national vice president, Western Area, Tom served as senior vice president of the Western Area for four years. He served as a member of the Governmental & Legislative Affairs Committee for 2005-2006 and previously served as a member of the Long-Range & Development Committee. He was elected to serve on the 2005-2006 Nominating Committee but will be unable to serve due to his subsequent election as Western Area vice president. He has served on the Advance Crew as a security crew leader at five FMCA international conventions.
As senior vice president of the Western Area, Tom acted as assistant rally master for the past four area rallies in Indio, California. Prior to that he was a rally captain and rally volunteer. Tom was instrumental in forming several chapters in the Western Area as well as other activities to encourage chapter membership within the area.
Chapter offices he has held are as follows: president of the Gold Diggers chapter; alternate national director of the Golden Spike chapter; and, most recently, president and national director of the Traveling VIP chapter. Tom and Joan belong to six Western Area chapters plus the Elk International chapter.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a bachelor of arts degree in marketing. After serving in the U.S. Army for three years, Tom had a 31-year business career with several large computer manufacturers in management, marketing, implementation, and project management of large-scale automation systems for corporate and governmental clients. He also was a California governmental affairs representative and a self-employed marketing consultant with national corporate clients.
Tom and Joan have been married for 49 years and have three sons and seven grandchildren. They have been Sacramento residents for 37 years. They have enjoyed volunteering in several state park systems, including the past six years as volunteers at the visitor center at Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California.
Jay Blumenthal, F230605
International Area
Jay and his wife, Donna, joined FMCA in 1997. They attended their first FMCA convention in 1998 and have been active members ever since. Jay was re-elected and will serve a two-year term as national vice president, International Area. Jay has served as a member of the Education Committee since 2004 and served as chairman of the committee during the 2005-2006 term.
Jay and Donna belong to more than 20 chapters: eight Frustrated Maestros chapters; three Monaco owners’ chapters; FMCA Chapter: Habitat for Humanity®; CHAI “” Chavurat Yehudim; Elk International; Long Islanders; Full Timers; Slots ‘O’ Fun; Bingo Maniacs; Over 50 and Fabulous; 100%ers; BRB; Coast to Coasters; and We’Come. Jay and Donna helped to found one chapter and are charter members of three others.
Jay served four years as president of the Frustrated Maestros-NE, Yankee Doodle Dandies chapter and one year as treasurer. He has been a member of the Northeast Area nominating committee three times and chairperson once.
Jay and Donna have served as captains at more than 12 area rallies or conventions and on the planning committee for seven area rallies. They have been rally masters at several of the numerous chapter rallies they have attended. Jay served as rally master for the INTO Rally in Gillette, Wyoming, in June 2006, and is rally master for the 2007 INTO Rally to be held in Harrington, Delaware, April 19-22.
Jay was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in New York State. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he taught social studies in public schools for 34 years, at both the junior and senior high school levels. During this time he took postgraduate courses. He served as coordinator of social studies for three years, as a member of the curriculum committee for two years, and coached various sports and the debate team. As members of their respective national, regional, and state professional organizations, Donna and Jay presented workshops to teachers in cooperative learning, group dynamics, and consensus building. Outside the public school arena, Jay taught religious school for 25 years and was religious school principal for five years. He served as chaplain at New York Military Academy for 10 years. Prior to Jay’s retirement in 1995, he and Donna both worked at summer camps for many years, with Jay serving as a camp director for five years.
Jay has been a member of Temple Beth Jacob in Newburgh, New York, for 43 years. He has served on the temple’s board of trustees, on numerous committees, and as a vice president for three years. He was an active member of the Jaycees for seven years and served as that group’s vice president for two years. After being a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster for 12 years, Jay was District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts for three years. He also served as a Little League baseball manager for five years and league president for two years. Currently he is a member of Elks Lodge #1643 in Indio, California.
Jay and Donna have been married for 43 years and have three children and three grandchildren. Aside from travel, Jay and Donna enjoy music, tennis, sudoku, and bridge. They have been full-timers for five years.
Ross Boyer, F268985
Great Lakes Area
Ross and his wife, Melanie, joined FMCA in 1999. Ross is beginning a two-year term as national vice president, Great Lakes Area. They are members of the Harney Coach Wranglers and Cat RV Club in the International Area and the Hoosier Cruisers in the Great Lakes Area. Ross served as alternate national director for the Wranglers in the couple’s first year of chapter membership and the next year became their national director. The Boyers served as assistant rally masters for one Hoosier Cruisers Rally in 2000 and have been rally masters for one or two rallies each year since. For the past three years, Melanie has been the newsletter editor for the Hoosier Cruisers. During that same three years, Ross held the offices of central area vice president, senior vice president, and national director, and he chaired the Bylaws Committee for the Hoosier Cruisers.
Ross served as chairman of the Bylaws Committee for the newly formed Great Lakes Area MotorCoach Association (GLAMA). They quickly accomplished the goal of writing the new bylaws and getting the bylaws approved by the national directors of GLAMA.
Ross has been active in the Boy Scouts of America for 49 years. During this time he has held many volunteer positions. Some of those were Scoutmaster for several adult leader training courses, District Commissioner, and District Committee Chairman. He received several recognitions for volunteer service, which included Training Key, Commissioner Key, District Award of Merit, and Silver Beaver, the highest award a council may grant to recognize a volunteer. In addition, he has been a trustee and chairman of the board at the church they attend, and chaired the Bylaws Committee and Stewardship Committee. Currently Ross serves as treasurer for the Happy Trails Sawmill Club, where he enjoys his woodworking hobby of creating furniture. In addition, Ross is chairman of the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions & Policy and Procedures Review Committee for the HOMCO Association of 2001 residential lots at Happy Trails Resort in Surprise, Arizona, in the winter.
Ross has a bachelor of science degree with a major in physics and extensive post-graduate courses in computer science and business management.
Judy Czarsty, F79148
Eastern Area
Judy and her husband, Steve, joined FMCA in 1986. Judy was re-elected and will serve a two-year term as national vice president, Eastern Area. During 2005-2006 Judy served as a member of the Convention Committee. During 2004-05 she served as a member of the Constitution and Bylaws/Policy and Procedure Committee. She and Steve co-chaired the Youth Activities Program for several years, and developed Youth Activities Program policies and procedures and a volunteer handbook. Judy authored the original chapter treasurer’s guide for the Chapter President’s Handbook.
Judy has served as senior vice president of the Eastern Area Motorhome Association; coordinator of G.E.A.R. volunteers; and captain of G.E.A.R. greeters. She assisted in site selection for three G.E.A.R. rallies; assisted the area vice president in establishing the Eastern Area Volunteers chapter, which planned and produced the early G.E.A.R. rallies; and served as the first newsletter editor for the Eastern Area Volunteers chapter. Judy hosted five non-chapter member rallies while serving as Eastern Area senior vice president, and these rallies resulted in the formation of six new Eastern Area chapters.
On the chapter level she has served as national director for the Dogwood and Colonial Virginians chapters; temporary voting delegate for the IPTAY Chapter of Clemson; newsletter editor for the Dogwood and Eastern Area Volunteers chapters; and rally master for numerous chapter rallies. She and Steve were charter members of eight chapters “” Eastern Area Volunteers, Dogwood, Cardinal Virginians, CHAI-Chavurat Yehudim, Just Friends, Mid-Atlantic Pals, Frustrated Maestros Eastern Sharps and Flats, and IPTAY Chapter of Clemson “” and currently are members of 10 Eastern Area chapters.
Judy has a Bachelor of Science degree from George Mason University with a concentration in accounting. She also took graduate accounting courses at the University of Houston and is a Certified Government Financial Manager. She has worked for the Veterans Administration; USAF, Pentagon; Southern Railway; and U.S. General Accounting Office as a senior auditor. She retired from the U.S. General Accounting Office as manager of the Policy & Control Branch.
She and Steve, a former national area vice president, have been married for 32 years. Their son, Steve Jr., served as TATS president for five years and remains active in FMCA.
Donzella Leahy, F234822
Northwest Area
Donzella and her husband, Bill, joined FMCA in 1997. Donzella was re-elected and will serve a two-year term as Northwest Area vice president. She served on the Risk Management Committee for 2005-2006. She served as the welcome crew volunteer coordinator at the August 2004 FMCA convention in Redmond, Oregon, and at the March 2005 convention in Perry, Georgia.
Donzella has served as Northwest Motorhome Area Association secretary, vice president, Nominating Committee member, and senior vice president. She also served as vice president and alternate national director of the We’come chapter. She was entertainment chair for the 2003 and 2005 Northwest Area rallies, and she and Bill have helped in various capacities during the rallies. As Advance Crew members for the international convention, Bill has helped with convention parking and Donzella has helped with the welcome bags. The Leahys have attended nine area rallies and 11 international conventions.
The Leahys are members of the Northwestern, Blue Mountain, Roamin’ Catholics Northwest, Olympic Snowbirds, Moose, Arctic Travelers, Alberta Wild Rose, Monaco Northwest, Monaco International, We’come, Snowbirds Southwest, Bingo Maniacs, Slots ‘O’ Fun, and Beat the Odds chapters. She is in the process of assisting in the formation of an FMCA chapter for Soroptimist members.
Donzella is a graduate of Lewis-Clark State College with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education. She taught English and social studies. She served as state vice president and then state president of the Student Idaho Education Association. She served as cochair of the college’s alumni association for two years.
Donzella also served as president and in other leadership roles in the following groups: Kennewick Newcomers Club; Washington State Square & Folk Dance Federation; Tri-Cities Cancer Center Guild; Soroptimist International Pasco/Kennewick; SIPK Foundation and Investment Quest (a women’s investment club); and 12 years as president of the Kennewick Newcomers Bowling League.
As active members of St. Patrick’s church, Donzella and Bill serve as Eucharistic ministers and Donzella also serves as a lector.
The Leahys have three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They have been full-timing for more than three years since selling their farm in Pasco, Washington.