MEET THE BOARD
Cathy Wittmer
President
Cathy retired to The Villages in 2012 with her husband, Mark. Cathy loves the lifestyle The Villages offers, spending much of her time golfing, playing Mah Jongg and Samba as well as volunteering at her church. She is coming with a varied background much of which involved work with youth. She feels ITAV Club provides the opportunity for many of us retirees to continue serving young people and she looks forward to helping lead this organization as it provides more and better opportunities for the children in our area.
Susan Williams Varela
Vice-President
Susan Williams Varela is a founding member of It Takes a Village to Change the World (ITAV). She has actively served on the ITAV Board since the club’s inception in 2014. Susan’s background is in Entertainment/Production and Education. Susan worked for the Walt Disney World Company for 21 years, she still entertains currently at Universal Orlando. She and her husband, Fernando Varela, have performed in, and have taken an active part in The Villages’ community for the past 20 years. She holds a bachelor's from Rollins College and is completing her master’s in counseling at Rollins as well. Susan believes that investing in children can, and will, change the world.
Eileen Manley
Secretary
Eileen spent all of her life in Michigan prior to retiring to Florida. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business, Sociology and Psychology, was certified as a paralegal and obtained a Nursing Home Administrators license in the later part of her career. Eileen worked in the healthcare arena for over 40 years both as an employee and as a business owner. Her experience has led her to enjoy working with others and especially helping children. She has been involved in ITAV since its inception 6+ years ago and looks forward to the exciting future events.
Deb Wiseman
Treasurer
Before retiring to Florida, Deb spent 34 years in the corporate world specializing in accounting and business controls. Her expertise in this area has served her well, being the Treasurer of ITAV for 6+ years. She looks forward to continuing to serve as Treasurer for ITAV as well as getting involved in the exciting activities planned for 2022.
Eva Gudeth
Ambassadors
Eva is married to her high school sweetheart, Skip Gudeth, for more than 50 years. They have three fantastic children, their spouses, and five grandchildren in their immediate family. Eva has a degree in accounting and retired in 2000 as a controller for a small firm. Eva has been involved with ITAV for many years. She and Skip have been involved with the after-school program at Wildwood Elementary, as well as “Donuts with Dad” and “Muffins for Moms” activities. Both Eva and Skip look forward to another active year with ITAV.
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Debra Heath
Ambassador
Until moving to The Villages in 2006, Debra was an educator/ administrator in Southwest Georgia. She ran an afterschool program and coached nationally recognized academic teams. Since her move, Debra has danced, produced and/or costumed resident productions, such as Chicago, Savannah Center Christmas Spectacular, and Fiddler on the Roof. Recently she has had the pleasure of volunteering with Victory Productions.
Skip Gudeth
Ambassadors
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Skip was an engine designer for Ford Motor Company. He retired on January 1st, 2002, and moved to the Villages in 2011. Skip has been vice-president and president of The Lakeside Grover’s social club. Skip has been involved with ITAV for many years. He and Eva have been involved with the after-school program at Wildwood Elementary, as well as “Donuts with Dad” and “Muffins for Moms” activities. Both Eva and Skip look forward to another active year with ITAV