Serving
Riverside County
President – Mimi Badura (Hemet/San Jacinto Council) During her nine years in PTA, Mimi has served as council president, unit president, recording secretary, treasurer, Membership VP, parliamentarian and the immediate past Leadership Director on 23rd District Board. Mimi and her husband Richard have one daughter, Zoie, who is thirteen years old. As District President, Mimi would like to help foster improved customer service between district, councils, and units and to assist PTA volunteers to empower themselves through knowledge of PTA resources. Mimi works as a registered dental hygienist.
Vice president – Susan Elliott (Temecula Valley Council) has been active in PTA for 12 years. She has held a variety of positions at the unit level including Programs VP, Secretary, Parliamentarian and President. She has served on Council as Parliamentarian and President. She has also been the 23rd District Parliamentarian and Insurance Commissioner. Susan and her husband, Terry, have one daughter. Sam is in the twelfth grade.
Leadership Director – Laurie Melton (Moreno Valley Council) has been active in PTA for 20 years. She has held numerous positions at the unit, council and district levels including four years as unit president and 2 years as Moreno Valley council president. Laurie and her husband Ron have three children: Stephanie (and son-in-law Greg), Robbie and Bryan and three grandchildren, Derick and Delana (Kevin is coming in July ’07). When not volunteering, Laurie enjoys spending time with her kids and traveling the world with Ron.
Membership Director -- Laura Hollen (Menifee Council) first joined a PTA board in 2003 as a unit auditor and has since served as unit president, council historian and membership, and district historian. Laura has held several positions in the short amount of time she’s been involved with PTA. She and her husband Terry have three children – Patrick, Bruce and Alexyz. Laura’s goals for membership include enhanced communication and training opportunities with individualized attention with her unit and council counterparts. She would like to see everyone enthusiastic about membership.
Advocacy Director – Tammie Blackmore (Riverside) has been involved in PTA for 17 years. She has served in most positions including unit president, council president, and vice president for 23rd District PTA. Tammie also served for a year on the California State PTA Board of Managers when she was the state PTA convention chairman. Married for 26 years, Tammie has one son, Steven who attends Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa. Tammie is currently serving at the unit, council and district PTA levels. She also enjoys scrapbooking and cardmaking, and has been a scrapbook consultant for 17 years.
Communication Director – Kay Rookhuyzen (Alvord Council) began her PTA career when her oldest child started first grade in 1978. She has served in PTA since then in various positions including unit president, council president, and 23rd District president. Kay served on the CSPTA board as secretary, a Leadership Services advisor, and a member of the Communications Commission where she edited the CSPTA newsletter PTA in California. Kay is an identical twin. She and her husband of 34 years, Larry, have four daughters (Jennifer, 35; Brenda, 29: Morgan, 26; and Tina, 23) and one son (Robert, 31) and is the delighted grandmother of six grandsons (13, 10, 8,4, 3 and 8 months) and one granddaughter (7).
Convention Director – Janis Russo (Corona-Norco & Riverside Council) Janis has over eighteen years experience in PTA, most of which were in Corona-Norco Council. Janis moved to Riverside in January 2006 after living in Norco for 25 years. Most recently serving as Membership Director, Janis has held many positions at unit, council and district levels, including unit president, auditor, treasurer, parliamentarian, historian and leadership but prefers financial. Janis works as a bookkeeper and office manager at their family owned business in Riverside. She has two children, Rose, a third grade teacher in Fontana and Vincent, recently honorably discharged from the Navy after 5 years of service.
Secretary– Janet Rose (Riverside Council) has been involved with PTA for 15 years; her first office was ways & means vice president when her daughter entered kindergarten. Since then she has held a variety of offices including secretary, treasurer, and president at the various school levels. She became active at the Council level 13 years ago, and has served as Council president. This past term, she served 23rd District as parliamentarian. Janet and Neil, her husband of 31 years, have two children, one of whom is a junior in college and the other a junior in high school. When not working on PTA activities, Janet enjoys selling on eBay, genealogy, reading, needlework, baseball, and Sudoku
Treasurer – Rhonda Torrez (Moreno Valley Council) worked full time as a banker and found it very challenging to work and be involved in her daughter’s education. Then her local PTA needed a treasurer. With her banker background, Rhonda was a shoe-in. Since then, she has served as treasurer and president at the elementary, middle and high school level. She is currently serving as president at Valley View High School and treasurer at 23rd District! She has also served in Moreno Valley Council PTA as treasurer and president, and is currently their parliamentarian. Rhonda’s family knows the value of the countless hours she spends volunteering. They truly believe she can make a difference.
Auditor – Sherri Power (Riverside Council) has 17 years experience in PTA. She is a past president at Amelia Earhart Middle School and Martin Luther King High School, both in Riverside. She is currently president at Twain Elementary School. She has been married 27 years and has six children. She is a 26-year resident of Riverside. Sherri is a pharmacist. Her hobbies include reading and sports and spending time with family and friends.
Historian – OPEN
Parliamentarian – Bennee Hetzner (Riverside) has been involved with PTA for 17 years and has served at the unit, council and district levels of PTA as a unit president, treasurer, parliamentarian, and VP of programs. Bennee is a past council president for Riverside Council, as well as leadership, and most recently as their parliamentarian. This term Bennee will also continue as a regional liaison. She has been married to her husband Tim for 24 year and has two son's, Andrew (21) is a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, and Matt (18) just graduated from high school, and will be attending RCC this fall. She enjoys working on her stained glass, gardening, traveling, and spending quality time with family.
Consultant - Ellen Larson (Murrieta Valley Council) has been involved in PTA for 23 years, ever since she saw her oldest son go off to kindergarten and wanted to be involved. Ellen and her husband, Alan, have four children. Youngest daughter Claire recently served as a student representative on the California State PTA (CSPTA) Board of Managers. Ellen is a past district president and served for 6 years on the CSPTA board as a Leadership Commissioner and as Membership Chairman, along with holding a large variety of unit, council and district positions. She was the charter president of Murrieta Valley Council which was named "California State PTA Outstanding Council" in 1994, its second year of existence.
Consultant - Diane Bynum (Murrieta Valley Council) has served in PTA for sixteen years. She has been president at two elementary schools - one of which was named as a "California State PTA Outstanding Unit" during her term - one middle school, and at Murrieta Valley Council where they were named as the "California State PTA Outstanding Council" both years of her term. She has served 23rd District PTA in several capacities over the years including Convention Director, Communications Director, and most recently, President. In addition to consulting for 23rd District PTA, Diane also acts as a Specialist to the California State PTA Finance Commission. Diane and husband, Mike, have two adult children: Christopher and Katie.
Awards Chairman - Sherri Inman (Moreno Valley Council) has been involved with PTA for three years, serving as treasurer and membership chair for her unit and as Hospitality Chair for Moreno Valley Council. Her best friend is her 8 year old daughter Ariana!
Community Concerns Chairman - Mary Ybarra's (Corona-Norco Council) first real PTA involvement was as yearbook editor. She has now been involved for 14 years and has held many board positions including Unit President, Council 1st Vice President, 23rd District Vice President, community advocacy chair, blood drive chair and now Corona Norco PTA Council President. Mary is also a very active community volunteer. Mary and her husband Joe, have two sons, Joey and Josh.
District Dinner Chairman & Hospitality Chairman - Debbie Rawley (Riverside Council)
Education Chairman - Mary Ambra (Lake Elsinore Council) has been involved in PTA for 20 years. When her children were in school, she saw a need and offered to help fill it. Now her grandchildren are in school and she is still helping out. Mary's children are Christopher (33), Vincenzo (26), Eva (25) and Elyzabeth (24). Her goals for this term are to help gather and impart important information on changes in education.
Insurance Commissioner - Joe Hayden (Corona-Norco Council)
New Unit Coordinator - OPEN
Parent Involvement Chairman - Denise Moore (Out of Council) In 1997, Denise’s children started public school in the Val Verde Unified School District. That was her introduction to PTA! She began her career as a PTA volunteer immediately and assisted in many events. Her first elected PTA position was President at the newly chartered Sierra Vista Elementary PTA. She went on to become Treasurer. She later served as secretary for Val Verde Council. Denise’s goal is to “learn all I can in order to fulfill my position and be a valuable asset to the district PTA team.”
Programs Chairman - OPEN
Outreach - Heidy Marlowe (Hemet / San Jacinto Council)
