Welcome to FMCA’s new and newly re-elected national area vice presidents.
National President
Jon Walker, F268778
jwalker@fmca.com
Please join me in extending a great big welcome to our new and newly re-elected Executive Board members. It gives me great pleasure to be able to introduce you to some new faces on your governance board: Bob Golk (wife, Debbie) from the Western Area; Ken Lewis (wife, Linda) from the Great Lakes Area; Paul Mitchell (wife, Lisa) from the INTO (International) Area; and Gaye Young (husband, Jerry) from the Eastern Area. Don Schleuse (wife, Barbara) from the Northwest Area was re-elected for his second two-year term.
The newly elected members of the Executive Board bring new and exciting talents. I thought you would enjoy knowing a little background information about them. It certainly pleases me to know that these new members will be bringing new ideas to the board. Part of the beauty of our association is that people volunteer to “step up” and represent our members in the business aspect of the world’s largest nonprofit RV association.
Recently, I was reading minutes from an FMCA Executive Board meeting held in 1999. Just like our members today, board member volunteers met to help administer our policies and procedures, and to try to move the organization forward. It was interesting to me that the minutes reflected that the board in 1999 discussed IF the internet would be useful to FMCA, and what, if anything, cell phones would be used for. Today, the issue is how to better utilize video conferencing in the wake of a worldwide pandemic. Wow!
Bob Golk
Bob and Debbie Golk
Bob Golk, F316752, and his wife, Debbie, live in Tehachapi, California. I had to look that town up! It is located north of Los Angeles and a little bit east of Bakersfield. They joined FMCA in 2002 and became members of several chapters. What is somewhat unusual is that they helped start a chapter — the Golden State Trackers — when they were “newbies” in FMCA. Very quickly, Bob became an officer in that chapter, serving as chapter vice president, alternate national director, and president.
The Golks also started volunteering at the annual Western Area Rally in Indio, California. I first met Bob and Debbie when they were moving chairs every day, all over the place! As time passed, their rally responsibilities increased more and more. Bob became Western Area central area vice president and then senior vice president before his election as FMCA national vice president, Western Area.
Bob entered the Air Force after graduating from high school and became a jet aircraft mechanic. As his training increased, he earned a position as an instructor for the jet aircraft maintenance school. As a jet mechanic, he was sent to Vietnam and served a year there. After returning, Bob advanced, and he ended his commitment to the Air Force while working on the F-15 and F-16 jet test programs at Edwards Air Force Base.
After leaving the service, Bob continued working at Edwards as a civilian. Over the years, he became an aircraft quality assurance inspector. Later, he also oversaw programs such as unit self-assessment, risk management, and safety, and he taught team building to teams preparing for inspector general visits. He retired as the quality assurance programs manager.
Ken Lewis
Linda and Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis, F428158, and his wife, Linda, have lived full-time in their motorhome since 2015. They have three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. Their daughters and families live in Florida, Georgia, and Washington. Ken spent his whole career in the Marine Corps and is a Vietnam veteran. After retirement in 1989, Ken worked with the Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center, in Crane, Indiana. For 22 years Ken served as a project test officer, testing weapons, ammunition, and various science and technology initiatives for the Department of Defense. This work took him throughout the world.
Ken and Linda joined FMCA in 2012. Ken worked his way up through the ranks within the Great Lakes Area, starting in 2014 as the national director for the Tri-State Traveliers chapter. He then became one of the Great Lakes Area regional vice presidents; worked as a member of several area committees; and served as senior vice president. Ken also has served during my administration as chief of parking for international conventions in Gillette, Wyoming; Minot, North Dakota; and Tucson, Arizona. Tucson was canceled at the last minute, as we all know, but Ken did all the preconvention work necessary to assure our members a great parking experience if the convention had been held.
Ken and Linda have been married for 48 years. You might also be interested in knowing that Ken is a great bowler and has participated in 19 United States Bowling Congress Open Tournaments. Ken also loves to play bingo. In fact, he introduced Sondra and me to bingo at our last convention. I struggle to keep track of one bingo card, while Ken plays 10 cards at the same time. Now that, friends, takes some skill!
Paul Mitchell
Lisa and Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchell, F165576, and his wife, Lisa, joined FMCA in 1993, when they received a complimentary membership upon the purchase of their third motorhome. They have had many experiences that most of us have not had. They lived full-time in their motorhome for nine years, and they have a house in South Haven, Michigan, and a house (their home) in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have a daughter who lives in Alaska, and two grandchildren. They spend more time traveling in their motorhome than they spend in their houses.
If you know Paul and Lisa, you know that they attend and volunteer at many area rallies and international conventions. In fact, they have volunteered at a total of 11 conventions and 13 area rallies. One has to keep moving to do that. If you need someone to take care of an FMCA job, Paul and Lisa are your team. They have worked with trams, taken care of radio communications, handled food services, moved chairs, and served on the security crew.
Paul has served as president of the SOI Motorhome Club and the Racecar Fans chapters. As members of the SOI chapter, he and Lisa have hosted rallies at the past 14 Rose Bowl parades. Before being elected as national vice president, INTO (International Area), Paul served as vice president of the area for four years.
Paul was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. He was wounded during that war and sent home as a staff sergeant. After returning home, he decided that the structure of the Army and the opportunity to travel were appealing to him. He finished his college degree and re-entered the Army through their Officer Qualification Program. He retired as a major in 1992, having served in the communications area. He spent many of those years in Germany, where he met his wife.
Gaye Young
Jerry and Gaye Young
Gaye Young, F284657, and her husband, Jerry, are new faces in the national vice president circle but are experienced FMCA volunteers with a wealth of knowledge and activity in our association. Most of you remember Gaye as our past national secretary (Madam Secretary). I could go on for days telling what Gaye has done for FMCA. Currently, she chairs the FMCA Education Committee and has held that position since 2014. She and her team established the FMCA University and have been responsible for overseeing the RV Basics program since March 2017. Her goal is to make FMCA University the number-one source of RV information. She currently is working on classes that our members can take online that will lead to certification in different areas of RV repair/maintenance.
Gaye and Jerry have been married for 31 years. They have four children and eight grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, music, dancing, meeting new people, sports, parasailing, hiking, and bicycling. She loves her biological family, her church family, her work family, and her FMCA family.
Summary
To help you get to know them, I asked our new national vice presidents a few questions for fun. Here are their answers:
Which year of your life would you like to relive and why?
Bob: 1971, the year I was finishing up my four-year hitch in the Air Force. Even though I had achieved the rank of E-5 in less than three years, I chose to leave the service. I have always looked back and wondered how my life would have changed had I stayed in the service. I think that I would have made E-9 and would have been running things wherever I was stationed.
Ken: 1969, the year I graduated from high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps. I would like to have had the opportunity to know, understand, and be more informed of my options in the Corps. During bootcamp I had appendicitis, which delayed my graduation and, as a result, changed my area of military training from the disbursing field into the artillery operations field. As it turned out, the artillery field allowed me to go to many different places, and it opened up tremendous opportunities upon retirement.
Paul: 1968, the year I was 18 and drafted into the Army. Would like to relive it, but with my knowledge and experiences I have today!
Gaye: 1972; I would have liked to further my education before settling down in married life.
What would you title your autobiography?
Bob: “How I Made Myself.” My parents divorced when I was 12. My mother had to work to raise us, so we all had to fend for ourselves. I learned to cook, do laundry, iron, sew, you name it. I had no mentors or adult guidance. Everything I am today is a result of things I chose to do on my own.
Ken: “How I Did It And All the Things I Would Change To Do It Right.”
Paul: “World Travels and Insights.”
Gaye: “Tunes and Travel of My Life.”
Tell FMCA members three things they should know about you.
Bob: 1. I can cook. Whether it be grilling, smoking, stovetop, or oven, I can do it all. I learned to cook at an early age out of necessity and kept improving over the years. 2. I love dogs, all breeds and sizes. I choose not to coexist with cats, but for some reason they love me. Whenever we visit someone who has a cat, invariably cats end up in my lap or on my shoulders, with no encouragement from me. Go figure. 3. I have been told by people that I intimidate them. This surprised me, as I love people. Do not let my outward appearance fool you. I am more than ready to engage in conversation and get to know people. At times I may be listening and observing, but do not hesitate to speak and break my train of thought. Ask Debbie how many times I have left the RV to take out the trash and not returned for an hour, as I ended up talking with people while out.
Ken: 1. Our family consists of three daughters living in Jupiter, Florida; Hahira, Georgia; and Belfair, Washington. We have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I am from Fairborn, Ohio, and my wife is from Bremerton, Washington. With our geographically separated family, the full-time RV lifestyle permits us to visit all our family and sleep in our own bed as we travel. 2. I retired from the Marine Corps in 1989 as a master gunnery sergeant, E-9. 3. As a Marine, I learned to take charge and take responsibility for my actions.
Paul: 1. I don’t follow the crowd. 2. I develop my own opinions. 3. I love a challenge.
Gaye: 1. If I had to choose between my house and RV, I would choose my RV, as it takes me to places for fun and enjoyment. 2. Place kindness first in everything you say and do. 3. Family comes in different shapes and sizes: biological, church, work, and FMCA. All are important to me. 4. Added an additional one: Work hard and play harder!
How did you meet your spouse?
Bob: While in the Air Force and stationed at Edwards AFB, I would go home on weekends and stay at my mom’s house in San Diego. Her neighbor’s daughter had her eyes on me. She told her best friend about me and told her to come over so she could point me out to her. Well, that best friend of hers was Debbie. I ended up dating Debbie instead of the neighbor’s daughter! The rest is history . . . and, yes, after a while, they remained friends over the years.
Ken: After returning from Vietnam to Camp Pendleton, California, I was working part-time in the base bowling alley. Linda and her girlfriend came to bowl one evening and did not know how to work the automated scoring system. Linda asked for assistance and was told to get Ken. I went to her lane to assist, liked what I saw, and never let her get away from me. Ten months later, in 1972, we were married.
Paul: We met in Germany while both in the service. How else could a Michigan boy meet an island girl from Hawaii?
Gaye: Jerry and I met in an active Sunday school singles group at Pine Valley Baptist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, in January 1987. I always kept this group neutral as far as dating, so there would be no hard feelings if things didn’t work out and you both stayed in the same group. With white-water rafting, bicycling, singles retreats, beach gatherings, hosting parties, and, of course, Sunday school, we found ourselves together a lot. A year later, in May 1988, we were married. It’s been adventuresome ever since!
Please help me truly welcome our newest national area vice presidents. Fresh faces; fresh ideas.