Marjorie Conley Aikens
Marjorie was born, educated, and has spent her entire life in Southern California. Until her retirement in 1991 she was an educator in the public schools working as a teacher, and for the last 28 years of her career, as a school psychologist. She has served on numerous committees and has held positions of leadership at her church. Marjorie’s present community involvement is serving as a board member for the Palm Springs Community Concert Association. She has been a resident of Palm Springs since 1959.

Carrie Dao Allan
Carrie Dao Allan R.P.T. received her Physical Therapy degree from Los Angeles Children's Hospital School of Physical Therapy. In 1971, she opened a private practice "Allan Physical Therapy" with her husband Robert Allan. Carrie has won several major honors, including the 1991 Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, United Way Achievement Award, and Rotary District Governor's 1991 Rotarian of the Year Award. She is a past president of Tiempo de los Ninos Desert Hospital support group, was the first female president of the Palm Springs Sun-Up Rotary Club, and served seven years on the Palm Springs Planning Commission.

Cy Breen
Cy moved to the Palm Springs area in 1988 from Encino, where he received many awards from the City of Los Angeles for his community involvement. Cy was Man of the Year for the City of Hope, District Governor for Rotary, and President of the Encino Chamber of Commerce. During his involvement with Rotary in Encino he received their Meritorious Award for his work in the Rotary Foundation and was involved in the production of a video for the D.A.R.E. program. Cy is currently an active honorary member of the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club.

William Diedrich. Ph.D.
William Diedrich, Ph.D. has been in education since the early 60s, beginning as an elementary school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He progressed through a series of positions including assistant principal, principal, director of curriculum, and district personnel director. In addition, he has taught teaching methods and administrative leadership courses at the college level. He has just retired after 12 years as Superintendent of the Palm Springs Unified School District. Dr. Diedrich has been involved in many education organizations as well as Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, United Way of the Desert, and the Alliance for Youth Board. Recently he was honored with the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Community Services Award. Bill is married to Cecilia, a retired primary grade teacher. They have four children and six grandchildren.

Virginia R. Eberhard, Ph.D.
Virginia R. Eberhard, Ph.D. is the principal of the Palm Springs Adult School. She has spent 24 years of her professional life in education, since 1977 in adult education. She received a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and Dance at the University of Massachusetts, her Masters degree in education at California State University at Northridge and a Ph.D. education at the University of Southern California. She is a published writer in education journals, and has won awards for her work, including the Kirk McKeever Award from the California Council for Adult Education. She was president of the California Council for Adult Education from 1995-96.

Michael R. Gurk M.S., P.T.
Michael has had an independent physical therapy practice in Palm Springs since 1996. Prior to relocating to the desert, he practiced physical therapy in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Kinetics from George Washington University, did Post graduate Studies in Exercise Science at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and holds a Masters of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from Boston University. Michael is also involved with the American Physical Therapy Association, American College of Sports Medicine, Rotary Club of Palm Springs, and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Kathi Hallock
Kathi received her B.A. from Michigan State University in 1973 and has been in the banking industry in the Coachella Valley since 1975. She is currently with Rabobank in Palm Springs. Kathi is a past Treasurer, Vice President, and President of Rancho Mirage Soroptimist, Past Treasurer of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, and is currently a Board Member of Coachella Valley Desert Visionaries and Treasurer for Palm Springs Sunup Rotary. Kathi is married and has two children.

Philip Kaplan
Philip Kaplan has been the American Disabilities Act Coordinator for the City of Palm Springs since 1992. In that position, he also works to make Palm Springs more accessible to those with disabilities. His goal is to help Palm Springs become a role model community for disabled access, which applies directly to many of its senior citizens. Since 1992, he also has served on the Disabled Access Advisory Committee for the SunLine Transit Agency. He also is a member of the Disabled Students Services Program Workability Advisory Committee at College of the Desert, and serves on the board of directors of the Riverside County Community Access Center.

Ann Kasper
Ann is currently the Program Director of HICAP. She was instrumental in writing the proposal to establish the Long-term Care Ombudsman program at the Volunteer Center of Riverside. She later became the program’s manager, supervising volunteer ombudsmen who sought to protect the rights of nursing home residents. Ann has been involved in many organizations; District Director for Camp Fire Girls, Campaign Committee for the United Way of the Inland Valleys, President of the Riverside YWCA, Secretary of Jefferson House (a mental health facility), and President of Cooper-Burkhart House (Adult Day Services). She is currently finishing a two-year term as President of California Health Advocates, the statewide professional association of HICAP managers.

George Kossler,  Immediate Past President of the Board
George is an Attorney with 25 years of experience in civil and administrative practice in both state and federal law. His general litigation practice represents public and private institutions, businesses and individuals. He is a member of the State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice and a certified Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He was honored for Outstanding Contribution to the Senior Center from 1979 to 1985.

Mark Matthews
Mark Matthews has been a member of the Mizell Senior Center Board since 1993 and is now a life member of the Board of Directors and a past president. Born in Minnesota, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Communication from the University of Minnesota and his Masters in Business Administration (with distinction), from National University, Palm Springs/San Diego. He was Regional Manager for Warner Cable Television Systems throughout Southern California, Arizona and Nevada for six years. He now is owner operator of Wiefels & Son Funeral Directors. He is a member of the Desert Healthcare District Board of Directors.

Jeanne Mazur-Messing
Jeanne Mazur-Messing has been a member of the board since 1993, continuing the work of her late husband, Harry, who served for nine years. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of science degree. She worked as a government research chemist during World War II, and then worked in research laboratories at Johns Hopkins Medical School and Jefferson Medical School. She received a Masters Degree in Information Science from Drexel University and was certified as a Braillist by the Library of Congress. In 1973, she moved to Palm Springs. She has been a Desert Museum Docent since 1973. Her community work also includes the board of the Palm Springs Library, Brandies University, and she is co-founder, with her late husband, of the Palm Springs Rotary Club's annual antique show.

Ernest G. Noia
Ernest G. Noia, Esq., is past president of the senior center board. A successful business lawyer and real estate broker, he specializes in real estate law and native American land transactions. He helped create the present senior center facility, along with a strong building committee. Born in New York City, he and his wife, Carolyn, own Noia Investments, a real estate investment brokerage firm. He has won many awards and honors, including Man of the Year for the Dolly Sinatra Lodge, Son's of Italy, Palm Springs and a citation from the Palm Springs Police Department for his volunteer activities as a Youth Court Judge helping first time offenders. Married since 1971, he and his wife, Carolyn, have identical twin boys.

Stephen Pougnet,  President of the Board
Steve graduated from Michigan Sate University in 1985 with a B.A. in Business Administration and served as Vice President for the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado prior to moving to Palm Springs in 1999. Steve currently serves on the Palm Springs City Council, sits on the AIDS Assistance Program Board of Directors, and is a member of The Church of St. Paul in the Desert. Steve is active, both professionally and personally, in the sale and restoration of real estate in Palm Springs.

Shari Stewart
Shari Stewart has been a desert resident since 1993. She is a retired elementary school teacher, a Governing Board Member for Palm Springs Unified School District since 1999, and is a member of many boards and service organizations throughout the Coachella Valley. Shari is has been married to Marc since 1969 and has two sons, Jeff and David. In her spare time Shari enjoys tennis, gardening, and hiking.

Margie Taft
Margie Taft is owner/broker of a commercial real estate company in the Coachella Valley, specializing in retail leasing, management, sales of shopping centers and commercial buildings. She is former manager of both Palm Springs Mall and Desert Fashion Plaza where she spearheaded the shopping center’s redevelopment. She is former president of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, Board Member for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, on Palm Springs and Cathedral City City Commissions including currently a Board Member of the Public Arts Commission in Cathedral City. Taft is currently the President of the Palm Springs Rotary Club.

John Williams
John Williams is an active member of the Board of Directors, serving on a number of committees. John is an active participant in city government, serving on city boards and commissions. He is the president of Small Hotels of Palm Springs, commissioner for the Historic Site Preservation Board, and chairman of the Palm Springs Neighborhood Association. His community involvement extends to positions in several organizations, including the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Desert Business Association, and the Palm Springs Hospitality Association. John is the owner and manager of the Out & About Editor's Choice Award-winning boutique hotel in Palm Springs "INNdulge."

Sylvia Zarasua
Vice President and Branch Manager of Union Bank of California. Moved from San Diego County to the Desert in 2001. Currently on the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce: Board of Directors and a member of the ATHENA and Membership committees. A Rotarian and a member of African American Chamber of Commerce, Coachella Valley Visionaries, CARE, Cathedral City Chamber of Commerce.