2024 Board of Directors Candidates

Candidates OLLI Mason Board of Directors 2024

Toni Acton

I’ve been a member of OLLI since 2012, joining soon after retiring from AT&T. In my 19-year career with AT&T, I worked on consumer and disability issues with the FCC and industry groups. Although OLLI has been a major part of my retirement, I’ve also volunteered with Traveler’s Aid at Dulles Airport for 12 years, supporting visitors to the Washington area and international travelers new to the United States.

As a member of the Board of Directors for the past three years, I have helped OLLI navigate the challenges of Zoom classes during COVID-19 and played a part in rebuilding our membership once people began to go out into the world again. I’ve served on the Nominating Committee for the past two years, helping to recruit qualified candidates.

Working with members who have been part of OLLI for years and brand-new members is my passion.  I learned very quickly that first impressions are extremely important whether in business or at OLLI – if a person’s initial interaction is favorable, they’re more likely to keep coming back. Retention of members is just as important as recruiting new members to preserve and expand our membership. OLLI should be an organization with something for everyone – classes, clubs, social events, and volunteer opportunities. As the Member Services Committee Chair for over six years, I interact with new members to help them feel at home and ensure that the OLLI office is staffed with enthusiastic volunteers. I have been involved with the Outreach Committee, interacting with the community at public events, and the Diversions Committee, helping to plan social events for our members.

We must increase our membership and continue to provide top-quality classes through Zoom and in-person sessions. It is just as important to listen to what our members want and need and continue to be financially responsible to the organization.

I want to continue my efforts as a member of the Board for a second term to help OLLI continue its journey to a “new normal." I plan to continue to play an active role in the governance of OLLI through the many committees I am currently involved with and take on new challenges as they arise.

Dick Crawford

I respectfully solicit your vote for the Board of Directors of our OLLI at GMU.

My professional life centered around food and agriculture issues as a senior officer of a global commercial organization. My responsibilities ranged from corporate governance to supply chain management to food and animal safety. I was fortunate to serve on advisory committees to commercial, civil society, and governmental organizations. I took considerable pride in developing people and setting them up for success in multiple entities.

As an Olli/GMU member since 2019, I have been amazed at the numerous contributions of our fellow members, teachers, volunteers, and staff. I greatly value the community we have created and the broad offering of content that challenges us to share our experiences and continue to grow intellectually. Currently, I serve as vice president on our Board of Directors, as a moderator of a weekly class and club, and as an active member of several committees.

OLLI/GMU has a 33-year legacy of providing opportunities to participate in a community where we can share our talents and experiences, engage in intellectual and cultural pursuits, and develop meaningful friendships. I want to contribute my talents to helping our Board continue to build on our strengths and address any challenges that may arise, ensuring that we have the most effective governance structure and offer our members the best possible value proposition.

I would appreciate your support and vote as a director for the Board of OLLI at GMU.

Camille Hodges 

I earned a B.A. from Hampton University and an M.ED. in Curriculum and Instruction/Middle Education from George Mason University.  In addition, I achieved National Board Certification in Social Studies/History for Early Adolescence.  My teaching experience includes 24 years as a middle school classroom teacher of Social Studies (History, Civics, Economics, and Geography) for grades 6 and 8; one year as a K-6 Social Studies Curriculum Support Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools; and a few summers as an adjunct professor with the GMU Fast Train Program for Teaching Elementary Social Studies.  Following retirement, I volunteered (3 years) with the Virginia Literacy Program (VLP), tutoring adult English with the Woodson Adult Center. I worked for the FCPS Dept. of Human Resources Colleague Assistance Program (CAP) by supporting K-12 FCPS teachers.

As a committee co-chair of the Humanities/Social Sciences/Current Events Committee, my responsibilities include extensive use of written and verbal communication.  These are written electronic invitations to course presenters from universities such as GMU, University of Richmond, Old Dominion University, Fairfax County Public Library, and community members.  These communication venues demand professional expertise with e-mail, e-mail attachments, websites, and follow-up letters of thank you and appreciation to presenters.  I consistently write committee meeting invitations and meeting minutes and submit articles to OLLI E-News.  My responsibilities include collaborating with members electronically, in person, and via phone to brainstorm topics and ideas, construct courses, and determine presenters. Making courses relevant to our members is a major goal of program planners; however, our objectives are not only to provide excellent programming but also to ensure that topics reflect the multicultural landscape of Fairfax County.  I have also acted as the temporary chaiperson of the Outreach committee and as a Mason University Board of Directors member.

I have been a member of OLLI since 2014, a member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Program Planning Committee since 2019, and am currently serving as co-chairperson of the Humanities/Social Sciences/Current Events committee.  My vision for fine-tuning this committee is ongoing.  As the current co-chair of the newly formed OLLI Diversity Committee, I have been involved with its construction, goal setting, and objectives.  Board membership would allow me to help fine-tune the construction of this committee and support other programming from the perspectives of problem-solving, oversight, accountability, and adherence to OLLI/GMU’s strategic plan.

Suresh Mohla

I have 46 years of experience in cancer research, 26 of which were at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I retired in 2016 as the Chief of the Tumor Biology & Metastasis Branch and Associate Director in the Division of Cancer Biology, NCI.  I have a Ph.D. in Endocrinology. My post-doctoral work was at the Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, known for discovering novel treatment strategies for prostate and breast cancers.

In 1990, I joined the NCI and supervised $150 million/year to support grants funded in cancer research. My role was to advance metastasis research. In 2006, I proposed a novel paradigm: to focus on tumor cells and the normal cells around it or a Tumor’s Microenvironment and to establish a Network (TMEN). I received ~90 million dollars to establish the TMEN; ~50 cancer scientists worked collaboratively for ten years.

In addition, I served as an advisor to senior leadership at NCI and as the liaison with professional societies, e.g., cancer research foundations for pancreatic and prostate cancer, melanoma, and other solid tumors. I also served as the President, Chair, or Member of Scientific Advisory Boards organizing International Meetings on Cancer Research held in America, Prague, Versailles, several other European countries, Australia, and Japan.

I am dedicated to mentoring young minds. For 22 years, I have organized and spoken on Successful Grantsmanship Strategies at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meetings. I became an AACR member emeritus in 2016.

Post-retirement, I was an NCI consultant on the President’s Cancer Moonshot Program. As a TME expert, I continue to consult with scientists in universities applying for NCI funding, such as Mass Gen Hosp. Boston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Oregon universities.

In 2019, I joined GMU OLLI and started teaching various aspects of cancer, including the three-part series “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, the King of Terror: (2020-2022). In 2023, I taught about the six biggest cancer killers in America. This term, I am teaching two courses and I will also teach a course Fall term.

I am honored to serve as a co-chair of the Science, Technology, and Health Program Planning Committee and as a member of OLLI’s Health Advisory Working Group.

I have the time and the commitment to foster and support the goals of OLLI. I have a deep desire to learn. My experience managing large projects, enhancing collaborative endeavors, and outreach will aid me if elected to the OLLI Board of Directors.

  Zach Teich

I’m Zach Teich.  I joined OLLI immediately after retiring 11 years ago and have been a Board member for 3.  I am running for reelection because I believe that my academic/professional background and Board service highly qualify me to help provide “strategic direction to OLLI” as called for in our Policies and Procedures Manual.

I hold Master's degrees from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the Marine Corps War College and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of South Florida. My academic career developed my core skills: the ability to analyze problems, synthesize solutions, and communicate with others to refine and implement those solutions. I use those skills in all Board activities.

Before retiring, I worked for the US Department of State for 33 years, 27 as a Foreign Service Economic Officer.  My last overseas assignment was as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar.  In that capacity, I was the Ambassador’s chief operating officer, responsible for overseeing the activities of the Mission in accordance with US Government policy and the Ambassador’s direction.  Following my Foreign Service career, I joined the State Department’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund as a negotiator/program manager for six additional years.  My State Department service gave me extensive experience in management, economics, budgeting, negotiating, interpersonal relations, and leadership.  I have found that experience directly relevant to my Board service.

On OLLI’s Board, I was the principal author of our current Strategic Plan and now serve as Strategic Planning Committee chair.  In that capacity, I lead the process of assessing our implementation efforts.  I want to see the current Strategic Plan through to completion.  More importantly, I want to help the Board develop its eventual replacement. I am also a member of the Outreach Committee and the Diversity Advisory Group.  I have taught courses on American foreign policy, on guns and how they are regulated in America and have moderated a news discussion group for the past four years.

In conclusion, OLLI helped ease my transition to retirement.  I’m committed to continuing to repay OLLI for the help it gave me through teaching and (if reelected) Board service.