The members of the Mine Action Citizen Diplomacy visit to Lebanon and Jordan constitute an eclectic group. Most are Rotarians and thus see service to others as an important element in their lives.
Cathy Gibson, a member of the Seattle #4 Rotary Club, is an avid outdoor sports enthusiast. As a mountaineer, Cathy conquered Mount Everest in 1990. Each year, she and her husband make it a point to climb nearby Mount Rainer. She also enjoys biking, sea kayaking, and xc skiing. She has a diverse professional career: corporate banker, international aide worker, and human capital consultant.
Danner Graves is on his fourth Rotary trip, having previously visited Ethiopia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia – the last four to observe mine action projects. He, too, is a member of the Seattle #4 Rotary Club and focuses his Rotary interest on international service. His other volunteer activities include rocking babies at Children’s Hospital once a week, and serving on the boards of two nonprofit groups: the Arts Fund and the Haas Foundation.
Mary Howell is experiencing her first trip involving mine action. A native of Minnesota, Mary now calls San Francisco home. She is a paralegal specialist and believes that the opportunity has provided her enough continuing education to maintain a strong interest in the profession. She considers Asian Art a passion and serves as a docent at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
Jack Imber is a mine action practitioner. He heads his own demining organization – Imber Demining International, based in Savannah, Georgia. Jack says his passion is “removing the risk of explosive injuries in war-torn countries.” He will have much to offer the group on this Middle East visit.
Jennifer Lachman is the Executive Director of MAG America, which has allowed her to travel to numerous mine-affected countries. Prior to her work with MAG, Jen had worked with the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department.
Roberta Nestaas will be experiencing her third mine action trip. Previously, she had visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia. Roberta currently serves as the Co-Chair of the International Service Committee of the Seattle #4 Rotary Club. She is the President/CEO of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, a multi-service nonprofit organization that provides a wide variety of services to adults, adolescents, children, families, schools, businesses, congregations, neighborhoods and communities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Linda Patierno considers herself a native Washingtonian, having lived in the metropolitan area since she was 5 years old. She retired from the Federal government in 2007 after 38 years of service. A voracious reader, she also spends time teaching knitting to adults in the Fairfax County Adult Education Program; working at two different golf courses; and, most importantly, being “Nana” to her two young grandchildren, Samantha (age 5) and Colin (20 months).
Pat Patierno is the Team Leader for this Citizens Diplomacy Visit to the Middle East. He retired from the U.S. State Department in 2006 after 38 years of Federal service. At State, he served as the Director of the Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs. Since his retirement, he has been the U.S. Representative for the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance and serves on the Board of Directors of MAG America. Pat enjoys playing at golf and relishes every opportunity to spend time with his two grandchildren. Pat recently had his name presented as a potential Rotarian and hopes to complete the process within a couple of months.
Karen Paul, a member of the North Burlington (Ontario) Rotary Club, is a successful real estate agent that enjoys traveling the world. She, too, has been on previous mine action visits with fellow Rotarians, including trips to Cambodia, Vietnam, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia. Karen is an outdoor enthusiast, especially attracted to kayaking and rowboats.
Gail Uilkema is a retired educator and school superintendent (Piedmont, California), and was honored as the National Superintendent of the Year in 2002. She devotes her time to 1) Lantern Projects, a non-profit organization that she founded, that raises funds for small projects around the world; (2) her Rotary club (Oakland #3); and (3) being a docent at the Asian Art Museum.
John Uilkema serves as an attorney (patent, trademark and copyright) in the San Francisco area. His reputation in the legal community has earned him Martindale-Hubbell’s prestigious “AV” peer rating, which signifies preeminent levels of professionalism and ethical standards. He is active with the American Bar Association and, this year, is serving on the County Grand Jury. He is a car enthusiast and is making his third mine action trip.
Vicki Warner is a retired public servant who served with the Department of Health and Human Services in Sacramento. This is her second mine action trip, the first being last year to the Balkans. She is a charter member of her local Rotary Club in Rancho Murieta and does volunteer work with senior citizens. She enjoys he theatre and trips to the ocean with family and friends.
Lity Yap, Malaysian by birth and nationality, now lives in Cambodia. Lity is a very active Rotarian, having chartered a number of clubs in Cambodia. She is a past President of the Phnom Penh Rotary Club (2009-2010) and currently serves as the Treasure for her club. Lity plans to retire in Cambodia, and hopes to set up a vocational school for educating and teaching under-privileged Cambodian children.
Peggy Yap was born in Malaysia and now lives in Cambodia. She joins her sister Lity on this trip to the Middle East. Peggy is a housewife and proud mother who enjoys cooking, and loves to travel. Her only child recently finished her studies in nursing.
