Board Members:
Anne Weiss(Treasurer), Mary Hartman (Chairman), JoAnn Evans, Alex Suczek, Guy Blatnik, Darla Gilchrist (Vice Chairman), Billie Reilly (Secretary), Ramona Kantack Alcantara, Voncille Zama, Jody Hughes
Billie Reilly – Laguna Vista
· South Carolina Native; Thirty year veteran of US Army—Retired Colonel--Twenty years with the Defense Contracting Business-worldwide; Cultural experiences in seven foreign countries: Germany, Vietnam, Korea, Marshall Islands, Afghanistan, Mexico, and Dubai UAE; At home in the Valley since 1995—11 years in McAllen and the past four years in Laguna Vista; Married to Suzie Warnock of San Diego, CA, retired from South Texas Community College
· Involved in Little Theater / Arts wherever we lived and the opportunity was present.
Rio Grande Valley Boards:
· El Paseo Board of Directors 2009– Currently serving as Chairman of the Membership Committee
· Chairman, Laguna Vista, TX Commercial Development Task Force
· Director, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Board – McAllen, TX
· Member, Aviation Board, McAllen- Miller International Airport – McAllen, TX
· Member, Leadership McAllen Executive Board – McAllen, TX
· Speaker to Middle School Students – Importance of Education and TX Scholars Program
EDUCATION: Three Masters – Personnel Management & Administration & International Relations; BA – Science – The Citadel / Military College of South Carolina
Anne Weiss – Long Island Village/Port Isabel – Anne and her husband Robert own the Ramada Limited on South Padre Island since 2004. Anne has an MBA from Baruch College and a BA from Queens College. For several years, Anne was the Acting Budget Director for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and for four years the Controller for the Sung Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, NY. She has an expertise in financial, and accounting management, forecasting, budgeting, and reporting. Current affiliations: SPI Chamber, Gala Committee, Government Affairs, Home Rule Charter Commission and a volunteer at the SPI Birding & Nature Center. Anne has acted in various plays with El Paseo and has previously been the Treasurer for the Greater Wildwood Hotel Motel Association Board of Directors.
Jody Perkes Hughes – South Padre Island – Jody has been a lifetime supporter of the arts. She lived all over the Midwest growing up, but graduated from McAllen High School and was active in Thespians, Theater and Choir during high school. She attended the University of Texas at Edinburg for her BS in Education and also completed her Master of Education, Educational Diagnostician at UT Edinburg. While her children were growing up, her family spent many a day at Playhouse 1960, Ace Community Theater, and performing in church performances in Houston. She helped with set design and construction, concessions, and all aspects of Community Theater. Jody moved to South Padre Island in 2003. Her youngest daughter immediately became involved with the theater at Camille Playhouse in Brownsville. Jody was on the Board of Directors for Camille Playhouse in Brownsville from 2004 to 2007, where she also performed in several musical performances. She was Ernestine in Hello Dolly, Mrs. Harcourt in Anything Goes, and performed in twenty three performances as Babbett in Beauty and The Beast. Since moving back to SPI in 2008, she has also been actively involved in El Paseo Arts Foundation Performances. Jody was one of the Narrators for the Readers Theater, performed in the Island’s first Melodrama, was the Psychiatrist in Sylvia, and helped co-direct this past summers Melodrama. Jody wishes to continue her dedication to the Arts by serving our community through the Arts.
Ramona Kantack Alcantara - Ramona is an attorney who has practiced law for over 30 years in such places as Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas), Tucson, Arizona, and McAllen, Texas, before moving to Port Isabel in 2003. She currently maintains offices in Brownsville and in Port Isabel, where she is member and Secretary of the City’s Planning and Zoning Committee. Ramona is certified in both Commercial and Residential Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is a member of the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law and Business Law Sections of the Texas Bar, and the Texas College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Ramona appreciates art in all its forms. She has supported the arts in all of the communities in which she has lived. She grew up in a university community that fostered an appreciation for both visual and performing arts. In high school and her early college years, Ramona participated in a number of productions, primarily as a musician. Ramona welcomes an opportunity to become more involved in supporting the arts in the Laguna Madre area.
Guy Blatnik – Guy is a long time resident of South Padre Island, having moved here in Sep of 1972. In the seventies he designed computers for NCR. From 1978 to 2004, he worked in a Maquiladora in Brownsville and Matamoros, taking over general Management in 1989. When the company was sold in 2004, he moved the manufacturing operation into Cananea, Sonora, Mexico, working there for 8 months. Currently, Guy owns Windchasers Kites and now has time to be active in the Community. He is a patroller for Sea Turtle Inc and also does some volunteer work. He is a member of both the South Padre Island and Port Isabel Chambers of Commerce. He was awarded the KuKui award this year from the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce for outstanding leadership and contributions to the success of the chamber. He is the chairman of the Ladies Kingfish Tournament, a member of the Islanders and on the education committee.
Guy is active in El Paseo and has helped with both Wind Symphony concerts, as the grounds chair for the last one. He is active in the community theater efforts both on stage and off. Guy is a member of the Beach and Dune Task force and a member of the IRRB for the City of South Padre Island.
Jo Ann Evans – Jo Ann is a life long patron of all the arts, but her personal art form is theater. She studied it in college earning her Bachelors in Speech from Northwestern University and her MA in Theatre from Governors State University. She taught children’s theatre and high school speech and drama and was a performer and director for more than 30 years in a community theatre in the Chicago area.
Since moving to South Padre Island, she has performed in the Camille Playhouse in Brownsville in several performances and is a season ticket holder there and in the Harlingen for the “Spotlight” series. Now, in addition to serving as a City Councilman for South Padre Island, she is actively involved in El Paseo Arts Foundation coordinating events, performing in shows and directing El PaseoArts productions. Jo Ann is also working to develop connections between the various arts groups in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
Darla Gilchrist - Darla was born and raised in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, but migrated to the Chicago, Illinois area a few years after high school graduation. She and her husband, Len and children, lived in Illinois for 30 years before moving to San Antonio, Texas. Darla has an extensive background in Financial Services, Accounting (CPA), and Mortgages and Management. She has a BS in Accounting from Aurora University and attained her CPA training through Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Darla spent the majority of her career as the Controller for several manufacturing companies. Although Darla and her husband permanently relocated to South Padre Island in 2005, they have owned rental property on the Island since 1994 and have been visiting the Rio Grande Valley for many years, watching it grow and change. Since retirement, Darla has been volunteering her time in several community functions and organizations. She has recently served on the Certified Retirement Committee and has completed the task for a Town constitution as a member of the Home Rule Charter Commission. Darla is a member of the EDC as well.
Darla enjoys the pleasures of “beach life” and has treasured the freedom to pursue other interests since retirement. As a past “numbers person”, Darla now has the opportunity to explore her artistic side. She has performed in three local productions presented by El Paseo Arts Foundation, excited by the live performances with an audience, and looks forward to future possible acting “gigs”. In addition, Darla creates one-of-a-kind art pieces (picture frames, mirrors and wreaths) from authentic shells collected along the Gulf of Mexico shores of South Padre Island. The arts are not a new love for Darla & Len. They regularly attended symphony performances at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio and various performances in the Chicago land area. Darla believes the arts improve the quality of life in the Valley for residents as well as tourists/visitors. She looks forward to making a significant contribution to that goal.
Mary Hartman – Mary earned a B.M. and M.A. from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She taught public school music and at WMU, Music for the Classroom Teacher and Private Voice. She was an active member of the Allegan Community Players, Twin City Players and the Kalamazoo Civic Theater performing on stage and serving as music director. Her credits include roles in Fantasticks, Sound of Music, A Little Night Music, Camelot, Jesus Christ Superstar and many others. She directed a church choir for 20 years before retiring.
A resident of Laguna Vista since 2000, Mary has been active in the area. She is past president of the SPI/PI Shell Club, secretary of the Laguna Vista Recreation Association, pianist for the PI First United Methodist Church and served on the Laguna Vista Home Rule Charter Committee. In addition, she has been actively involved with El Paseo Arts Foundation since its inception helping develop the mission statement and by-laws. Her commitment has continued with serving on the Board of Directors working behind the scenes to enable the organization achieve its past and future events. She is currently in charge of volunteer services and serving as events house manager.
Alex Suczek - Alex has spent his life promoting the arts. He has a BA from Harvard College. During college, he was an actor and on stage musician for the Brattle Theater Company culminating in one national tour co-produced with the New York Theater Guild and a successful run in New York presenting a classical repertory from Shakespeare to Chekov. After his service in the U.S. Air Force, Alex had a long career in marketing and retired as Creative Director of C-Eco Marketing Division.
He was President of the Pro Musica Detroit, a concert society presenting world class artist and composers; worked part-time as a performing artist of baritone singing folk and art songs with classical guitar in radio and TV; was the founder, performer and Artistic Director for the Grosse Pointe Summer Music Festival from 1957-1982; presented programs by first chair musicians of the Detroit Symphony visiting world class artists; authored and taught a course in performing folk and art songs self accompanied with guitar from 1956-1982 which booked more than 10,000 registrations over 27 years; reviewed concerts of the Detroit Symphony from 1990 to 2005; and still plays at Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival since 1988. Alex currently writes a column in the Grosse Point News titled "State of the Arts" and has done this since 1988. He is also a free lance columnist reporting on the arts in Michigan and Texas newspapers. Alex moved to South Padre Island to retire in 1993 and windsurf as a retirement health plan. He is married with two daughters and three grandchildren.
Voncille Zama - Voncille Galloway Zama has spent a large part of life in Port Isabel, Texas and has been fascinated with art from an early age. After many years of casual painting, she attended the local university in Lake Charles, Louisiana to take drawing and painting classes. Voncille continues to take classes and workshops to further her proficiency and knowledge of art.
Voncille is currently Secretary for the Laguna Madre Art League and is a past president as well as director. She is also a member of Chapter BU P.E.O., an international Philanthropic Education Organization in Brownsville and is a past President and currently serving as Secretary.At this time Voncille’s medium of choice is watercolors. Her paintings are inspired by the love of flowers, the beach and nature. A selection of her work can be found on her website www.thebluegatestudio.com. When giving directions to her studio she tells everyone “it is halfway between the Yacht Club Hotel and the cemetery”.Though Voncille calls Port Isabel home, she frequently travels between her daughters homes in Louisiana, Kentucky and California. Yet somehow she still manages to find time to create an impressive collection of watercolor work sold at local galleries and art shows throughout the year. When at home, Voncille can be found in her studio which overlooks her lovely tropical garden. She shares her home with an occasional stray cat and her husband of over 50 years, Robert.