Recaps:
Milwaukee 25th Anniversary Getaway Recap
October 9-12, 2025
FAUSA Raised the Roof in Milwaukee!
Milwaukee was the perfect place to celebrate FAUSA’s 25th anniversary! From historic tours and lake/river cruises to laughter-filled dinners and a record-breaking gala, the weekend was one for the books.
Thursday:
The current board and incoming board members met with the counselors in attendance to share ideas about FAUSA’s direction and to hear the counselors’ valuable insights and suggestions. This meeting plays an important role in keeping our past presidents connected and engaged with the board’s ongoing goals and vision.
Our opening dinner took place at The Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. We toasted to FAUSA’s 25th anniversary, enjoyed a guided tour of the original brewery, dined on a delicious buffet, and cheered for those who came dressed to the theme of Laverne & Shirley or Happy Days. The night ended on a sweet note with a beautifully decorated cake!
Friday:
The day began with a scenic cruise along the Milwaukee River and into Lake Michigan aboard the Edelweiss. The weather was perfect, the guide was wonderful, and the views of historical landmarks were stunning. We also had a special view of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Afterward, we lunched at The Brewery, where Milwaukee’s famous cheese curds did not disappoint! The afternoon was free to explore the city’s architecture, shops, and charm before everyone regrouped for FAUSA’s traditional dine-around. Members gathered at local restaurants and later met in the hotel lobby to keep the fun going.
Saturday Morning:
After breakfast, we held our Annual Meeting. This year’s agenda featured reports from FAUSA’s 2024 grant recipients — Kelly Pokharel, Director of Operations for Ascend, and Janet Darrow, FAUSA Counselor, reporting for Food Finders: Rescuing Food, Reducing Hunger. You can read more in their reports located in our 2025 annual report. After the reports were given, partners were excused to explore the famous Harley Davidson Museum with lunch after at the Motor Bar and Restaurant.
We honored our past presidents, or Counselors, through heartfelt video clips where they shared memories, reflections, and advice for the future. (Full interviews will be posted soon!) We also took time to remember FAUSA members we’ve lost — their presence and impact remain deeply felt.
The 2023–2025 FAUSA Board shared our accomplishments and the goals we’re working toward, followed by the announcement of the 2025–2027 Board:
- President: Brenda Brinkley (2nd term)
- 1st VP Communications: Jennifer Padfield (2nd term)
- 2nd VP Membership: Linda Harvan (2nd term)
- 3rd VP Philanthropy: Kathy Limbaugh (1st term)
- Secretary: Aurora Silvestri (1st term)
- Treasurer: Cathy Farnan (1st term)
- FAWCO Liaison: Carol-Lyn McKelvey (2nd term)
- Director, Activities and Events: Yolanda Henry (2nd term)
- Parliamentarian: Caroline Pekarek (appointed, non-voting)
- Counselor Liaison: Liz Janson (appointed, non-voting)
Looking ahead, we’ll be seeking members to fill open board roles in 2027 — if you’re interested in getting more involved, please reach out!
We also celebrated the announcement of FAUSA’s 2025 Annual Grants. In honor of our 25th anniversary, we awarded two grants of $12,500 each to:
- Food Hub/Community Marketplace – Nourishing Families in a Food Desert (Long Beach, CA)
- The Sewing Labs (Kansas City, MO)
Congratulations to both recipients!
Saturday’s Gala Night:
What a night to remember! Our 25th Anniversary Gala will forever be known as “The Great FAUSA Flower Heist.” A florist from Florida had left a room full of fresh flowers after a presentation to Kroger, and the hotel graciously allowed us to use them. Buckets upon buckets of blooms transformed the ballroom into a floral wonderland — the perfect setting for an unforgettable evening.
FAUSA members showed incredible generosity, raising over $89,000!
Highlights included Kathy Coughlan’s stunning patriotic starburst quilt, which raised a record $3,635 and was won by Priscilla Dysart. In honor of Sal, Carol Lalani donated the very first FAUSA quilt which was originally won by Carol and Sal in 2002. Proceeds from its auction will support FAWCO’s Target 6 Project.
Special Thanks:
Huge thanks to the incredible Getaway Team: Marline Holmes, Lisa O’Hearn, Kathy Limbaugh, Linda Harvan, Yolanda Henry, and Brenda Brinkley for pulling together such a memorable weekend.
We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors: Liz & Eric Janson, Suzanne Wheeler, Janet Darrow, and a bequest from the estate of Shirley van Ooijen, as well as Aurora Silvestri and Sue & Murray Frick for their generous support.
A special shout-out to Lisa O’Hearn for securing Trader Joe’s reusable bags, and to East Shore Specialty Foods for donating their delicious pretzels for our welcome bags.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the 2025 Annual Report, beautifully assembled by Jennifer Padfield.
Long Beach Getaway Recap
September 26-29, 2024
Janet Darrow and Tony Armand truly went the extra mile to ensure everyone had an amazing experience at this year’s Getaway in Long Beach, California. Each day, we were greeted with sunny skies and stunning views.
Thursday evening’s welcome dinner at The Reef Restaurant embraced a Hawaiian theme, with everyone dressed in their best island-inspired attire. An hour of complimentary drinks set the stage for FAUSA members to reconnect with old friends and warmly welcome new faces, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
Friday began with an eye-opening boat tour of the bustling Long Beach port, where an astounding 4 million containers are processed annually. The sheer scale and logistics were mind-boggling. From there, we boarded the iconic big red bus, along with an overflow black bus, for a tour of Long Beach led by Art Deco expert John Thomas.
In 1933, a devastating earthquake ravaged the city, destroying many buildings, including schools and the main hospital. During the rebuilding efforts, the Art Deco style, which was then in vogue, shaped much of the reconstruction, and many of these beautifully restored buildings still stand today.
After a leisurely lunch, we visited Rancho Los Alamitos, a historic ranch and garden. The early 19th-century adobe ranch house, now a museum, offers a glimpse into the area’s rich history. The day concluded with an optional gondola tour through the scenic canals of Naples Island, adding a charming and serene finale to an eventful day.
Saturday morning's Annual General Meeting featured Tyler Bonanno-Curley, Deputy City Manager for Long Beach and Co-chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in Long Beach, as the guest speaker. He provided fascinating insights into the city's preparations to host Olympic and Paralympic events.
The meeting concluded with the exciting announcement of next year’s Annual Meeting and Getaway, which will take place in Milwaukee from October 9 to 12, 2025. We will be celebrating FAUSA’s 25th Anniversary in Milwaukee, so be sure to add the dates to your calendar to help us cheer the first 25 years of FAUSA!
It was a truly memorable and impactful weekend.
2023 Nashville Getaway Recap
The 2023 Annual Meeting and Gala in Nashville was a great success and so much fun! We had a record 67 attendees and guests! We enjoyed barbecue at Jack’s; a docent-led tour of the historic Ryman Theatre; and, line dancing and dinner at the Wildhorse Saloon. Nashville’s hotel’s proximity allowed the attendees to walk to all of the entertainment and venues during the Getaway.
The guest speaker prior to the annual meeting was Sara Beth Myers, Deputy General Counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center and founder of AWAKE, Advocates for Women And Kids Equality. We elected the 2023-2025 board and announced the winners of FAUSA’s two $5,000 Annual Grants. It was such a close race this year! At one point we had a four-way tie for second place! The winners are A’gin Healthy Sexuality and Body Sovereignty - Braided Curriculum Project, Tewa Women United (which was our guest speaker at the Santa Fe Annual Meeting last year); and Family Sponsorship, Refugee Assistance Alliance out of Miami. Congratulations to both recipients! If your preferred charity did not win this year, please try again next year. The previous board voted to increase our contribution for FAWCO’s Target 5 project, which puts us a little over $9000 towards Awesome Blossoms, which is the highest tier for contributions.
Our entertainment for the Gala was Tatiana 'Tajci' Cameron, an award-winning music artist, a world-class entertainer and songwriter, and a Eurovision Song Contest finalist. During the live auction we had a demonstration from samurai Tim MacNeil, which was a big hit! We raised a record amount of $36,065 from the silent and live auction and also the quilt sales. The quilt drawing winner was a very excited Janet Darrow. The board is committed to continue to be good stewards of the generosity of the members.
Special thanks to Murray Frick for once again being our fun and entertaining auctioneer. A big thanks to Nan de Laubadere for donating the beautiful quilt. And thanks to Rick Chizmadia for creating another great video to remind us of the fun we have when we are together. A big thank you to the Getaway team for putting together another fun FAUSA weekend: Liz Janson, Kathy Limbaugh, Linda Harvan, Rick Chizmadia, and Suzanne MacNeil. And finally thank you Jennifer Padfield for publishing our annual report again this year.
