Welcome

Officers:

Brenda Gay - President

Molly Kiefer – Vice-President

I am a psychotherapist and had been in private practice in Raleigh, NC for over 35 years. I was born in Dublin, Ireland and came to the US at the age of 3. I feel as though I grew up traveling to Europe and throughout different parts of the United States from a young age.

The travel, the cultural exchanges, and meeting people were enticing features of Friendship Force. When I joined in 2011, I was excited to learn the culture of others, to stay in their houses, eat their food. And, then reciprocate when people from all over 

Judy Wright - Treasurer and former Board President

DeAnne Dotson – Secretary

DeAnne is a native North Carolinian who has lived and traveled all over the world. She grew up in tobacco country in Stokes County, studied in Finland and Russia (ultimately graduating from UNC-G with a Communications BA in 1995), taught English in South Korea, and worked for the USO on US military bases in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Along the way, she has backpacked across five continents, enjoying the food, the culture, and the people she encountered. Her commitment to non-profits began at a young age, inspired by her mom who was a Den Leader for both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. DeAnne translated this commitment into a stint with AmeriCorps where she worked with disadvantaged youth in Austin, Texas. She has continued to volunteer in a variety of ways with various organizations throughout the years, such as recruiting alumnae to adopt residence halls at The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (her alma mater), staffing the USO center at the at RDU Airport, and leading a group of friends to set up an apartment for an incoming refugee family with US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Directors:

Carole Dubber

I am a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Most of my career was as a clinical supervisor at Dorothea Dix Hospital and in private practice.

Now that I have retired, I want to spend more time traveling . Friendship Force offers that as well as the opportunity to build relationships with people in other cultures.

I have enjoyed my participation with incoming journeys . I really enjoyed the journeys to Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina. I look forward to traveling overseas, hopefully , starting when our club visits France.

Doyle Long

Doyle joined the Raleigh FF in 2004 with husband, Joe, in time to join a journey to New Zealand.  It was a wonderful trip and set me up for many more. I went to Ismir, Turkey, then a tour afterwards; to Japan, a week in Tokyo, then another stay in Nara; In between Friendship Force trips, I managed to see Ireland, then Italy with Joe and The Holy Land (Jerusalem) in the same year); Nancy Shugart and I had a beautiful trip to Egypt, then a two week stay with a friend in Amman, Jordan and an 8 day cruise through the Greek Islands. Another great FF trip was to Brunsweige-Piner, Germany, then to Berlin for four or five days to see the sights. After that Nancy and I flew to Stockholm for a week with a friend, then to Helsinborg, Sweden with a couple who had visited us in Raleigh, then four days on our own in Copenhagen. Our next exchange was my last international FF trip to Australia where we had three different Journeys plus 4 days in Sydney. Since then I've only traveled domestic journeys to Memphis and the Suncoast in Florida. Early on we spent a week each in Bakersfield and Santa Ana, Calif. I have loved all my travels and cherish the friendships I have made and remained friends for years. Without emails I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with so many of these wonderful Friendship Force members.

Donna Steele 

Donna is a retired Biotechnology and pharmaceutical training manager. I am active in the community and serves as President of The Woman’s Club of Clayton, as well as serving on the local community college, downtown Clayton and FF of Raleigh Boards. My interests are volunteering in the community, reading, walking and travel.    Dhsteele249@yahoo.com 

Rachel Masimore

Olga Dovoric 

Mary Louise Gray 

Jan Johnson 

Patricia Jones

Liz Smith

Marylin Sorin