[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.
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