A Message from our President

Dear Members,

It’s the season for thanksgiving and I’d like to begin by thanking all our Board Members, Committee Heads and Volunteers for their dedication, brainpower, grace and good humor. The Club has had a terrific year! And, we have a fantastic team running our Club and pulling together our strategies and events for 2026, so there’s more to come! Keep up with what’s happening by visiting our website, which we are currently renovating.

Some of that grace and good humor were displayed by Conne Sutherland, Heidi Sebok and Charlotte Joyce last week. An old oak tree fell on the Wine House and rain was expected the day of our luncheon. These three ladies scrambled to reschedule, contact all the luncheon guests and reorganize staff. The result: A sunny, tasty and energetic get together! In a beautiful location.

Thanks also to our longtime and new members for being part of our club. This year we attracted 57 new, paid members and have a huge pool of talent!

Continued

November's 'Joy'ceful lunch

November's luncheon at The Wine House was lovely; outdoors in sunny weather, despite the unexpected date change due to giant fallen tree the weekend before. Members enjoyed the Wine House's selection of fine wines and other drinks as they gathered and chose seats out on the large patio. Then we enjoyed a delicious buffet provided by The Wine House. Our guest speaker, Charlotte Joyce spoke on her personal history and the story behind creating The Wine House. She spoke on the joys and challenges of starting and running a successful business while raising a family. Our thanks to Heidi Sebok and Conne Sutherland for arranging this special lunch, and then hustling to reschedule it.

October's Fall Fantastic Lunch

What a lovely Fall afternoon for our October Luncheon. While the socializing proceeded, 34 attendees lined up to get plates of the always fabulous and farm fresh buffet from Earthbound Farm Stand. Our guest speaker, Teri Scarlett, spoke on her family history in the area (e.g., Scarlett Road). She also talked about how she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age, but was told at the time by a teacher she should focus on being a secretary. That galvanized her to become an advocate for women, and today as a lawyer, that's exactly what she does. Her company, Legal Services for Seniors, offers free legal services for women 60 years and older. Deb Langley's beautiful raffle basket netted $170 for the Foundation, and was won by Pinkie Terry.

Following Lunch we heard a few words from Nancy Rowan, co-owner of Paradise Catering (with John Kasky). As someone who's been around Carmel Valley for 50 years, and been preparing food since she learned recipes from her Grandmother, Nancy knows how to deliver an unforgettable meal to a crowd. She talked about some of the rewards and challenges of preparing meals for large events such as weddings (who knew caterers not only catered to the eating sensitivities of vegans, those with allergies, and the gmo-averse but also "nightshades"). Nancy's short talk was delightful and she took a handful of questions, which she answered with aplomb. It was a delightful session with a Carmel Valley icon.
Kudos to Conne Sutherland and Heidi Sebok for organizing a great luncheon.

A "Paradisiacal" Lunch

What a turnout for our first luncheon of the '25-'26 year! We had around 60 members in attendance. We filled up the Holman Ranch Tasting room and patio, and were seated at tables with gorgeous center pieces made from plants from Mary Sutherland's yard that Conne Sutherland had arranged. Brenda kicked off the proceedings by introducing a slew of new members present for their first lunch, and advertising our October Luncheon at Earthbound Farm which is just around the corner. While the socializing proceeded, attendees lined up to get plates of a fabulous buffet prepared by Paradise Catering: two beautiful different salads and mouthwatering salmon and chimichurri sauce. Deb Langley's beautiful raffle basket netted $365 for the Foundation, and was won by Patti Burrows.

A Terrific Kick-off to Our 2025-2026 Year

Lovely weather and and even lovelier setting at Sherie Dodsworth's Carmel Valley home made for a wonderful September Member Reception, and a great start for our new year. With appetizers galore, wine, soda and cool end-of-summer breezes, around 30 of our members enjoyed socializing and getting to know a number of newer members. We thank Sherie for her great hospitality, and Brenda, Conne and Deb for helping with set-up.

A Festive and Successful Fiesta

August 2-3, the CVWC and Foundation participated in the CV Kiwanis' Fiesta in the Park. We had two booths to recruit membership and to raise money for the Foundation through a continuation of our silent auction. The silent auction/membership drive was a GREAT Success. With the help of enthusiastic members (Renee Wagner, Gale Paul, Conne Sutherland, Linda Smutz, Linda Davey, Brenda Davia and Deb Langley) we were able to increase our membership by seven people over the two days. The silent auction brought in $1,265 and Deb Langley donated funds from basket sales to bring the total up to $1,500. There were a variety of items to bid on from adventures such as sailing, e-bikes, and airplane rides. Baskets ranged in themes from junior chefs, beauty bowls to chicken lover themed baskets. Mark your calendar for next year's Fiesta, always held the first weekend in August.

Wednesday, June 4 Luncheon -We celebrated our
Scholars and Non-Profit Grantees

Our June luncheon is always a delight. Held in the lovely garden of Los Laureles Lodge, with delicious food, umbrellas, and a gorgeous day, we celebrated the scholars and nonprofits who were recipients of our 2025 grants. The Foundation was able to grant $21,000 in tuition scholarships to 8 Carmel Valley area scholars and $11,000 in unrestricted grants to local nonprofits that serve Carmel Valley residents. We are thrilled to be able to provide this much support and thank all of our members and the community at large who supported our fund-raising efforts.

The Community Allocations Committee (June Dawson, Chair, plus members Linda Davey, Marilyn Kajs-Wyllie and Judi Zaches) selected the following nonprofits to receive grants: Alliance on Aging, Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, Carmel Valley Historical Society, Community Human Services, Friends of Cachagua Children's Center, Friends of Carmel Valley Library and the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center.

The Scholarship Committee (Nancy Endriz, Chair, plus members Sherrie Dodsworth, Linda Smutz and Deb Langley) selected 8 recipients for tuition scholarships, 4 new scholars: Flor Martinez Blanco, Ruby Myrold, Charlee Riddle, and Danielle Coustette, and four awardees from past years who completed their first years at school successfully: Azucena Martinez, Lesslie de la Rosa, Adrienne Ranansky, and Siri Panetta.

In addition to the celebration, our membership voted in new Club Officers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and thanked outgoing officers Helayne Williams and Melissa Sterling. Incoming Officers are: Brenda Davis, President; Heidi Sebok, 1st VP Programs; Conne Sutherland, 2nd VP Venues; Deb Langley, 3rd VP Membership; June Dawson, Secretary; and Sherie Dodsworth, Treasurer.