The 2022-2023 OIWC club year is coming to an end. It is time to vote for the 2023-2024 Governing Board Elected Officers! The election of Foreign Side Elected Officers will be held at the June 22 luncheon. Only those Foreign Side members who have registered in advance for the luncheon and are in attendance on June 22 will be eligible to vote during the time allotted for voting at the luncheon meeting.
Foreign Side Elected Officers: Get to know the candidates from their introductions below. Nominations for each of the Elected Officer positions may also be made from the floor during the Foreign Side election portion of the upcoming luncheon meeting.
Other Foreign Side Board Positions: The 2023-2024 President will appoint Foreign Side committee chairs prior to the beginning of the next club year. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in holding an appointed committee chair position.
Foreign Side Elected Officer Candidates
President – presides at all meetings of the Club, is an ex-officio member of all committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee; has the power to appoint additional Committee Chairpersons.
Trish Kramer – President Candidate
Trish Kramer currently serves as the OIWC Foreign-side Vice President and has previously served as the Foreign-side Treasurer. Her experiences living in Okinawa have given her a deep joy for embracing the Okinawan culture with an appreciation for how incredible Okinawa is.
Being part of OIWC has provided opportunities not possible without the generosity and kindness of its members. She hopes future members will grow to a similar appreciation for the organization. Living in Okinawa has been one of the greatest adventures she and her family have experienced together. She hopes to make the most of her time in Okinawa, energizing the organization that contributed so much to her experience. Trish knows there is great value in OIWC and hopes to utilize what remaining time she has on the island to contribute towards achieving the organization’s mission. Trish is passionate about giving back to the community.
Trish holds an Associates of Arts Degree in Business and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. She has 15 years of diverse experience including: Accounting Manager, Office Manager, Project Manager, Operations Manager, and Government Contract Specialist. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and drive to build a career of her own, Trish started her own bookkeeping business in support of entrepreneurs and small business owners wanting to outsource their accounting needs. In addition to running her own business, Trish has volunteered within the military community as a leader for various nonprofit leading efforts such as: mentor for L.I.N.K.S., Key Spouse, Dollars for Scholars, PTA President, Financial Officer for the Kadena Officers’ Spouses’ Club (KOSC), Financial Officer for A.W.W.A., and Scholarship Chair for the Marine Officers’ Spouses’ Club Okinawa (MOSCO). She also served as the OLS Facilitator Lead and Trainer and was recently elected as the Vice President and Director of Curriculum of the Okinawa Leadership Seminar.
Karen Touchette – Vice President Candidate
Karen Touchette is running for Vice President. She currently serves as the Foreign side Culture Group Chair. She has been a member of OIWC for the last four years, and served on the Board for the last three years in a variety of positions. Karen has a deep love for this organization and what it stands for.
Karen is a Marine spouse and stay at home mom of three wonderful children. She has an AA degree in general education and graduated from Massage School as a massage therapist. When she is not toting children to Ballet recitals, where she volunteers as a party parent in the Nutcracker, or lacrosse practices, she can be found on the docks of Kadena Marina as a part of the Army Ladies dragon boat team.
Karen’s family has spent the last five years in Okinawa exploring and tasting all the delicious foods available. She plans to make the most of her last year on this beautiful island while enjoying every moment as part of this amazing and unique organization.
Jennifer Yapshing - Secretary Candidate
Jen Yapshing is running for Secretary. She has been involved with OIWC for a year and loves being a member of this organization. Jen is a Navy spouse and has been married for 25 years. She and her husband have four wonderful children and three grandchildren. This is their first overseas tour and they are so happy to be living in Okinawa.
In college, Jen majored in History and French while obtaining teaching credentials. One of the highlights of her college years was spending time living overseas in France and England, before moving to China to teach English. Upon her return to the United States, she obtained a Master’s in Education and spent the next 20 years as a classroom teacher. Being overseas showed her that she loves meeting new people and learning about new cultures.
Volunteering and community service are important to Jen – she has served on NOSCO and AWWA Boards and loved her time in those organizations. In addition to volunteering, Jen enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and exploring this beautiful island. She hopes to be a part of the OIWC Board and looks forward to meeting and working with all OIWC members.
Jamie Conti – Treasurer Candidate
Jamie Conti is a military spouse who has resided in Okinawa for almost a year, along with her husband and two daughters. She holds a BS in Statistics from North Carolina State University. Professionally, she works full time in data analysis, data visualization, and project management. Along with her career pursuits, she has always had a strong passion for community service, having served as Treasurer on the board of New River OSC for 3 years and more recently as Vice President of LES PTA. She is an avid supporter of OIWC and would enjoy the opportunity to support the community by serving on the Board.