New Board Officers Named

Although presidents of the Foundation usually serve a two-year term, outgoing top officer Don McComber is moving on after only one year at the helm. He’s not going far, however, since he’s left his Foundation post to assume the chairmanship of Queen of the Valley Hospital’s board of trustees.

“In that brief time, Don helped the Foundation accomplish a great deal,” says Foundation Chief Development Officer Dick Green. “We’re glad his energy and keen understanding will continue to benefit the hospital.”

With Don’s departure, former vice-president Jim Tidgewell has moved into the board presidency (for his thoughts on the tasks ahead, see the President’s Report on page 4). Jim, a managing partner of G. & J. Seiberlich & Co., Certified Public Accountants, has been on the Foundation Board since 1992. He is also on the board of directors of The Vintage Bank and of St. Apollinaris school.

The Board’s new vice-president is Dorothy Arata, who joined the Foundation Board in 1993 And currently chairs its Special Events Committee. In addition to helping her husband, Rick, run Storck’s Garage in Napa, Dorothy has been active in Community Projects and the Lutheran Church.

Not everything is changing, however. Napa attorney Jim Terry will retain his post as treasurer and Andrea Schrader, president of First American Title Company of Napa, will continue as secretary.

Say hello to the latest addition to the Foundation’s hard-working staff, Sandy Schill. As the Foundation’s new executive assistant, Sandy joins Pat Slattery in the front office, where her duties will include taking minutes at Board and committee meetings, helping Foundation volunteers, and handling calls from the public.

Although Sandy only joined the Foundation staff in January, she’s not new to Queen of the Valley. In 1959, a year after the hospital opened, Sandy got a job with

Dr. Houghton Gifford’s pathology lab. Since then she’s had a few jobs “on the outside,” such as executive assistant to Beringer Vineyards’ vice-president of marketing, but for most of the last four decades Sandy has worked in and around the Queen, including as a medical staff coordinator, executive secretary, and most recently in Medical Transcription.

Now Sandy’s enjoying the “people contact” and variety of her job at the Foundation, including her interactions with many people she already knows from her years with the Queen. “So many wonderful people work here, so it always feels like home,” she says. “Maybe that’s why I just can’t seem to get away from this hospital!”

Ron Tapper has been a driving force-literally-at many of the Foundation’s special events over the years. He joined the Board of Trustees in 1987 and served as treasurer from 1993 to 1996. He and his wife, Carolyn, co-chaired “Day for the Queen” many times. And among Ron’s greatest contributions are the countless hours he’s given to parking cars, directing traffic, and driving vans as a Foundation volunteer at the Wine Auction, the Transamerica, and Foundation events.

So in recognition of all that he has done for the Queen and the Foundation, the Board has named Ron an honorary trustee. “Ron is a great volunteer, always a step ahead of the rest of us,” says fellow trustee Jayne Morrell. “We’re thrilled that, as an honorary trustee, he’ll still be part of the family.”