The Faces of OLLI [#8]: Meet Betsy DeMatteo

 [Photo credit: Betsy DeMatteo]

 

The Faces of OLLI [#8}: Meet Betsy DeMatteo 

[by Alan Sturrock, blogger] 

 

Betsy grew up in central New Jersey. She received a BS degree in Business Education from the University of Toledo, Ohio, and an MS degree in Educational Administration from SUNY Albany, where she was working in the accounting department of the Albany Public Schools. Betsy met her husband, Ed DeMarco, in Albany and they subsequently relocated back to New Jersey.  There, Ms. DeMatteo's career as a school business administrator took off.  She served in many school districts and was ultimately appointed State School Business Administrator (SBA) for Trenton School District's Business Office.  When the Newark Public Schools became a state takeover district, Betsy and her team were able to bring the district into compliance with state regulations over a two year period, earning national recognition for the audit.

 When Betsy and Ed retired in 2001, they decided to spend winters in their condo on Carolina Beach and summers at their lake house in New Hampshire. When they came to Wilmington, they encountered the earlier version of OLLI called Pathways. Betsy not only took courses but also taught Time Management and Budgeting for Nonprofits. 

She became an active volunteer, working for many years as an usher at Thalian Hall and UNCW graduations, as an educational volunteer at the Aquarium, at the new Ashley High School's student services office, and judging HS Senior Projects.  She was a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) and ran the Carolina Beach tax office doing income tax returns through the Senior Center.  

 With the new OLLI programs, Betsy began taking classes and outdoor activity courses. She and Ed traveled with OLLI to Iceland, Chile and Easter Island. They also traveled extensively through Europe, Central America, and the United States on their own. After Ed’s death, Betsy traveled with OLLI to Costa Rica, United Kingdom, and, most recently, Japan.  Many of the courses she takes are music or art centered.  She fell in love with opera through Met Live that OLLI offered.  A former violinist, Betsy loves classical music along with ‘60/70 music, owning many albums from that era.  She enjoys going to concerts and plays at both Thalian and Wilson Center.  Her calendar is full. 

 Most recently she teamed up with Ellen McNair and Sherrod Sturrock to offer a Lecture & Discussion series, Art in Our World, whose purpose was "to explore the role that art plays in moving us to more fulfilling and creative lives."  Through those experiences, Betsy added to her already impressive art collection and collecting local art.  In her spare time, she is also a passionate knitter. 

 Betsy appreciates the expanding diversity of the OLLI courses and trips and would like to see two areas explored: 1) have a person available so we older individuals could ask technical questions about their phones or computers. 2) consider a course series that introduces members to the many aspects of life in Wilmington and southeastern North Carolina.

 

 

 

 

The Faces of OLLI [#7]: Meet Christina Dulworth

 [Photo Credit: Christina Dulworth]

 

The Faces of OLLI [#7]: Meet Christina Dulworth [Assistant Registrar]

[by Alan Sturrock, Blogger] 

 

   Christina, a native of Gas City, Indiana, had an early career focus in vocal performance [especially Gospel singing], and completed her undergraduate work at Taylor University with a Master of Arts in Music from Ball State University. During her undergrad and grad programs Christina discovered that she had a talent in serving as an administrator for fine Arts Programs (especially in vocal arts & as Fine Arts librarian), both at Taylor University & Ball State University.  After College she started her career as a board member and vocal instructor for the Grace Academy of Fine Arts.

Before she moved to North Carolina, she worked at Grace College & Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana.  Her favorite position was with an Adult Degree Completion Program called GOAL (Grace Opportunities for Adult Learners), advising students from admissions to graduation.  This work also included registration, and a foreshadowing of a career to come.

In 2017, Christina moved to North Carolina, where she worked in a temporary position at UNCW. There she teamed up with Jonathan Watkins, booking conference spaces for outside organizations, including handling all registration. At this time, she also helped with event management & set-up.

   She began more intensively working with the OLLI Program, when Registration Services first became a part Community Engagement and now the UNCW Graduate School, providing registration services prior to the Covid years through the present day. Both Christina and Jonathan spend the bulk of their time and energy registering community members for the myriad OLLI programs, the Office of Continuing and Professional Education (CPE),  the office for Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO), the Swain Center (Executive Education & Economic Development), and UNCWs Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).

   Christina has still found time for her Musical passion though--singing and traveling with  The Crusaders of NC, an adult gospel group based in Erwin, North Carolina.  She retired from this traveling experience in 2019 but continues to create event posters for them throughout the year.  She is now serving as the Director of Music Ministries at her local church (Castle Hayne Christian Fellowship).

   Along with Jonathan, Christina clearly enjoys serving the OLLI Community of Learners. Her wishes for what’s next at OLLI are:

[a] continue to streamline the registration process

[b] dream about having more classroom space

[c] reduce waitlists!

 

The Faces of OLLI [#6]: Meet Greg Savad

 

 [Photo credit: Greg Savad]

 

  The Faces of OLLI [#6]: Meet Greg Savad

[by Alan Sturrock, Blogger] 

 

Prior to arriving in the Wilmington area in 2024,  I lived in central New Jersey and am still working as a title abstractor for the real estate industry which is why I usually sit in the back of a class and have my laptop with me. I am also working on a long term project to build infrastructure in several countries in Africa which is still in the funding stages seven years later!! But hope springs eternal (Alexander Pope).

  I first became aware of OLLI mid fall semester in 2024 when I saw a stack of catalogs in the Pine Valley library and once I opened it up, I found classes right away and haven't stopped. I do have to say it was easier to be a full time student and work full time when I was 20 as opposed to  40 years later!!

  I am very interested in social justice and environmental causes, which these days can both be categorized together so the myriad of courses offered at this coastal town OLLI have certainly kept the synapses firing and my outrage at the ignorance of so many at a boil.

 As an active volunteer participant in juvenile justice programming the last 15 years, I would love to see a class that could utilize everyone's brain power to continue to help these kids stay out of the system by thinking of new programming as well as those in the system to stay out once they have addressed their issues and consequences.