Meet Crossroads Arts Council’s Board Members:
Laura Birk serves as president on the CAC Board. Laura is a lifelong St. Louisian retired from a career in healthcare. Her experience includes managing various departments that supported patient care. Most recently, she recruited physicians and executives to leadership positions in academic organizations and health systems. Her passion for expressing creativity began with the crafts with her Girl Scout Brownie handbook, and continues today. In between, she has dabbled in crochet, knitting, sewing, smocking, fine needle techniques, scrapbooking, and home decorating. After moving from Florissant to Wentzville to be close to her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, she has been thrilled to find Crossroads Arts Council and has met so many wonderfully creative people.
Georganna Krumlinde (Gigi) serves as Treasurer on the CAC Board. She also serves on the Art Advisory Committee under the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department. Currently retired, Georganna spent 38 years in education, as a teacher, a Director of Religious Education and a Library Media Specialist. She has served two three year terms on the State Board of the Missouri State Teacher Association, fifteen years on the State Board of the Missouri Association of School Librarians as the liaison to Epsilon Beta, and three years as MASL’s treasurer. She served multiple terms on the State Board of the Missouri Advisory Council for the Certification of Educators. She has served six years on the board of the Missouri State Teacher Foundation. She has volunteered as a Boy Scout leader for 20 years, a Girl Scout leader for 30 years and a 4-H leader for 35 years. For Girl Scouts, she serves as a Trail Blazing Coordinator, a facilitator for adult training, a neighborhood treasurer and a weekend supervisor. For her own troop she organizes fundraisers so they can do international travel every other year. Georganna is moving into her fourth year as treasurer for the Crossroads Arts Council. She is an active member of St. Gianna Parish, is their Facility Management Team Leader, a lector, a Eucharistic Minister, and is in charge of the quilters. Georganna has been quilting and doing needlework for over 60 years and has won awards for her quilts and needlework in Iowa, Florida, Massachusetts and Missouri. She quilts regularly at St. Patrick’s, St. Gianna’s and with Quilts of Valor of Eastern Missouri. She has taught various classes in sewing and quilting.
Debbie Kindschuh serves as Marketing Chairperson on the CAC Board. She also serves on the Art Advisory Committee under the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department. Debbie taught in the public school system for 30 years as an art instructor, arts integration supervisor, gifted education coordinator, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade teacher, media specialist and International Baccalaureate Art Curriculum program manager. She’s taught writing courses at the university level and volunteered at the university as Youth University Art instructor. She was a Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher participant and spent time in Japan studying curriculum. She also supervised students in the German American Partnership Program with international travels. Debbie and her husband volunteered for 8 summers as coordinators of a cultural exchange program with the Navajo Nation in Carson Post, New Mexico. She has been a member of National Education Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and International Society for Technology in Education. Debbie holds a BA in Art Education, a BA in Media and Technology, an MA in Early Childhood Education and an MA in Information Learning and Technology. She now works as a professional photographer and creates art in many mediums.
Rhonda Schrum serves as hospitality and program chairperson on the CAC board. She is a fiber artist who also works in many other mediums. She enjoys exploring color and texture in unusual ways. She especially enjoys embroidery techniques and other surface design techniques such as silk painting, dyeing and beading as well as weaving and crochet. Rhonda taught art in public schools for thirty years. During her last years at Hazelwood West High School she created and sponsored the West chapter of the National Art Honor Society and the Crafts and Fibers Club. She has a masters plus 30 in art education and has taken advantage of many, many in-service workshops on art education over the years and presented several as well. She has taught continuing education courses in art at St. Charles Community College and private classes at Lillian Yahn Gallery, By Design Studios and Wentzville Christian Church. After many years of working with students with developmental disabilities at school and at home, she now teaches a Bible study called The Gap for young adults with special needs related to socialization at Wentzville Christian Church. Rhonda is a former board member at the St. Charles County Arts Council where she regularly planned and participated in exhibits and activities. She is a member of Crossroads Arts Council, the Craft Alliance and the Fiber Section at St. Louis Artists Guild. Rhonda is also an active member of Missouri Fiber Artists where she regularly shows her work and participates in/plans activities relating to the fiber arts. She currently serves as past-president and has served as Regional Rep., Vice-President, State Conference Chairman and interim Treasurer.
Deborah Bowman serves as secretary on the CAC board. She has a BA in English Education and an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing. She enjoys all kinds of art, but her main interest and talent are in writing. She belongs to two writers’ groups, including Scribes Tribe, which is part of Crossroads Arts Council. She would like to highlight the writing side of CAC, perhaps by starting some writing classes and/or starting an open writers’ group. Professionally, she is the Senior Managing Editor of two medical journals; in addition, she is the co-author of the book Images of America: Wentzville, published by Arcadia Publishing, is a long-time member of Wentzville’s Downtown City Committee (acting as CAC’s liaison), is a member of Wentzville’s Main Street Association, was a member of the Wentzville Historical Society Board for many years, and was named “Wentzville’s Community Servant of the Year” in 2009. She looks forward to sharing her skills and her friendship with the Crossroads Arts Council as a Board member.
Laurie Sirtak serves as Membership Secretary on the CAC Board. Additionally, she is a member of the programs committee and assists in our branding and fund raising efforts. Laurie spent her professional career as a commercial interior designer and major projects manager. She helped to design, procure and install major projects including commercial, hospitality, healthcare and educational buildings, both regionally and nationally. Her design skills and attention to detail are being put to use as we continue to expand both the reach, and programs, of the Crossroads Arts Council. She also owned a successful retail business focused on artisan crafts, especially custom designed rug patterns, hand dyed wool and class instruction at regional shows. Today, she and husband Bob split time between Wentzville and their cabin on the White River in Arkansas, where Bob is an avid fly fisherman. They enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and trips to their favorite fishing holes in Yellowstone and Colorado. Laurie is thrilled to have discovered the Crossroads Arts Council, and looks forward to continuing efforts to extend the reach of CAC’s programming and the joy of being involved in all forms of creativity for our community.
Kerry Kirkland is CAC’s Vice-President. Her current interests are working with colored pencils to draw animals and she has just begun oil painting after a long hiatus from the easel. She studied Studio Art, Photography, Set Design, and Videography at Florissant Valley Community College. She was a sergeant in the U.S. Army for four years working as a Television Videographer/Editor/Graphic Artist. While stationed in Vicenza, Italy for two years, she had the opportunity to take in numerous famous pieces of art all over Italy. Kerry met her husband Dan in the Army TV station in Italy and they just celebrated 32 years of marriage. While stationed at Ft. Knox, KY, she helped start the Firehouse Artists’ Guild in E-Town. Post-military, Kerry earned a Psychology degree and an M.Ed. in Counseling at UMSL. She worked as a mental health counselor and later a Director of Quality Management, Staff Training and Onboarding for 15 years. Then she left to start her own equine business of trimming horse’s hooves. First she traveled around the U.S. to study with certified hoof care professionals learning the art of natural hoof trimming. She then transitioned into trimming hooves full-time and did so for 12 years. She described the trimming of hooves as a lot like sculpture but with structural parameters. Currently, Kerry volunteers as a Horse Handler at TREE Therapeutic Riding. She is excited to bring as much positivity, creativity and assistance to the CAC as she possibly can.
Advisors to the CAC Board:
Diane Ransom served as President for the CAC board for five years and now serves in an advisory role. Before marriage and a family, Diane taught elementary school for two years. During the years of her marriage, she studied to become a certified teacher of Priscilla Houser’s Tole Painting techniques. As an artisan with many areas of interest, she taught a variety of classes, both in her home and in local hobby shops. She is now retired after a 29 year career in the medical field. The position she held offered her a variety of job responsibilities including lab, assisting the doctor, and handling a wide variety of issues involving insurance and disability matters. She has volunteered with several community organizations both as a member and as a board member. Diane joined the Wentzville Community Club as a volunteer, served as a member of the board, and five years as President of the Club. She has also served as a board member of the Wentzville Historical Society.
Judie Wise served as Vice President on the CAC Board. Judie comes from an artistic family. Her talent is in the art of business. Judie owned and operated five bookstores and a business center inside the terminals at Lambert Airport. Since she sold the business and retired, she now has the time to get in touch with her inner artistic talent. Judie looks forward to finding it while working on the CAC board.
JoAnne Taylor served as Co-Secretary on the CAC board and is a member of the Art Advisory Committee under the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department. JoAnne has always loved art. She graduated from college with an Art History degree but having moved away from the New York City area to Wentzville Missouri, was not able to use her degree in her career. Now that she is retired, she can be involved with art again. She is able to be part of a great art council that is dedicated to promoting the arts and is also able to take classes to improve her own skills. Life is good!
Patrick Nolan served as a CAC board member for five years and now serves in an advisory role. He was born in Denver, CO and at the age of 5 he moved with his mother and new stepfather to a farm which is now known as Quail Ridge County Park. Patrick’s stepfather actively farmed and also had a dairy herd until he entered the construction business when Patrick was in high school. ” It was a true farming area back then. You almost knew everyone,” Patrick stated. He attended grade school at St. Patrick’s; high school at Chaminade and then college at Notre Dame. His first real art courses started at Notre Dame. He has a fond memory of the friendship with the sculptor-in-residence. Patrick married Sharon in South Bend and moved to Wentzville to begin working in his father’s real estate company. He fathered three sons and saw many changes and growth in this area. Looking back – the inner push to express creatively resulted in nearly constant art work from then as he made a living from real estate. Now, in later life, Patrick knows that desire has been his best friend during dark times especially. He’s come to realize just the blessing of doing art is the ultimate reward. Patrick is very grateful!!!
Harry T. Corbett serves the CAC in an Advisory Role. He is a Postmaster Retired after 38 years of service from March 1967 to March 2005. He was Postmaster Wentzville, Mo. 63385 from 1980 to 2005. He then worked for HNB Banks from October 2005 to September 2012, and he retired after 7 years as Business Development Representative for HNB Banks, Wentzville Branch. He is currently serving a second 3-year term as a Board member with Crossroads Clinic, Volunteers in Medicine (2017 through 2022). He has been a member of the Wentzville Rotary Club since 1981 (40 years). He served the Rotary Club as President in the Rotary year of 2005/2006. He held all club Officer, Board Positions and several Committee positions as well as serving as an Assistant District Governor. Other past and present affiliations: (DDRB) Developmental Disabilities Resource Board of St. Charles County (President and Member of the Board of Directors), Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Postmasters. He is an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Wentzville. He is married to Nancy for 49 years in July 2020. They have two sons, a wonderful daughter in law, 4 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Tony Thieman serves the CAC in an Advisory Role and helps in so many ways. He is an artist and strives to help us maintain a creative and vital gallery. We appreciate his expertise, his advice and his resourcefulness. Tony and his wife Sandy, have owned Thieman Carpet Company in Wentzville and have a 40 year history of providing high quality flooring to our crossroads communities. Tony believes that Wentzville is a safe, secure, and family-oriented area, and he is proud to maintain the small-town values for which this area is known. He owns many business buildings in our historic downtown area and serves on the Wentzville Downtown Business Association. Tony is also an artist and we are continually amazed with his new stain glass and/or metal designs.