C Carole Richard

   Carole was born in New York City to be near, as she says, her mother. She graduated from San Diego State University with a double major in Sociology and Gerontology and did graduate studies at GWU. At Common Cause, she dealt with the volunteers who were mostly retirees keenly interested in politics, travel, etc. … very much like our OLLI members. She has six adult children and nine almost adult grandchildren.
   She organized and became president of several homeowners associations as well as the Friends of Chantilly Library. She has been president of PTAs as well as Fairfax County’s Golden Racquets. After chairing several community groups for the late Martha Pennino and Jean Packer, she ended up in Civic Leaders of the Mid-Atlantic.
   She was widowed in 2003 and joined OLLI two years later. She never thought she could be this happy again. At OLLI she has participated in several support roles, such as class liaison and on the membership committee as chair of the subcommittee for booths at local Fairs, office, clean up, etc. She thinks OLLI is moving forward in a direction that is very important for retirees, combining academic interests with travel and social as well as cultural events. OLLI is the best-organized and functioning group of people with whom she has ever worked and played, but the emphasis on growth to 1,000 members worries her. She feels it is premature when we cannot accommodate all the requests of our present membership because of limited class room and parking space. She questions if the additional monies from Osher Foundation will be enough to pay for the needed land & classroom.