St. James NEST Board of Directors
Skip Shaw, St. James NEST President
Skip and his wife Linda moved to St James from Connecticut in October, 2019, attracted by the mild climate, appealing lifestyle and being a few hour drive away from their grandchildren. Skip enjoys golfing, although his game leaves a lot to be desired, trips to the beach, dinners with friends, travel, and exploring different areas in the Southeast. Skip’s career began in the Aerospace industry working in technology and program management, and then was a senior partner at a major consulting firm, leading their global aerospace and defense practice. Skip was initially introduced to NEST by Linda, who had signed up to be part of the Volunteer team, and he initially joined the IT team. Once COVID hit and all training had to be done virtually, Skip was asked to take on the role of Volunteer Coordinator. He is very proud of all that the team accomplished in its first year, and is looking forward to working together to continue to grow and strengthen St. James NEST.
Sheila Sullivan, St. James NEST Vice President
Sheila and her husband, Dick Schondelmeier, moved to The Woodlands in St. James in 2016. Until moving to St. James, Sheila had lived her entire life in Connecticut within 50 miles of where she was born. While she was happy to raise her three children there, she was very happy to leave the snow. Sheila retired from Connecticut state government as a Planning Specialist after 37 years and used those skills to help get St. James NEST started. Since then, she has served as the Information Technology Committee Chair and more recently has taken on the role of NEST Vice President. Sheila says she is proud to be part of such a fantastic organization and loves working with her fellow Leadership Team volunteers and hearing from our Members how NEST has so positively impacted their lives.
Barbara White, St. James NEST Compliance/Legal
Barbara and her husband, Paul, moved to the St. James' Members Club neighborhood in 2015. Before moving to North Carolina, she lived her whole life in New Jersey, New York City and Connecticut. Barbara practiced law for over 30 years in New York and Connecticut and when she learned about St. James NEST, she knew she had found the right organization to apply her knowledge and experience in corporate law, compliance and insurance law, as Compliance Committee Chair. She has taken to southern living with ease, enjoying a multitude of activities, including book club(s!), golf and maj jongg. She's also developed a new passion since moving to St. James - painting, which includes being active in the Artisans Gallery.
Karen Nelsen, St. James NEST Secretary
Karen and her husband moved to St James in 2017 from Tolland, CT. She was an educator in the public and private sector for many years. Since her move she has enjoyed playing bridge, mahjong, golf and participating in a book club. She has also renewed her interest in drawing. Having been a caregiver for her mother, she understands the need to provide support and services to an aging population. After learning about NEST from several friends, she decided it would be the perfect venue to give back to the community.
Tom Echter, St. James NEST Treasurer
Tom and his wife, Marj, moved to St. James from Rochester, NY in 2002. Prior to that they owned a software consulting business specializing in application software for colleges and universities. Tom has always believed it is important to help those less fortunate. In Rochester he was on the Foundation Board for a charity that ran 40 group homes for adults in Western NY. As a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church here in Southport, he chaired the Mission Endowment Committee which supports local, national and world wide ministries. Since moving to St. James he has enjoyed the active lifestyle of the community. He recognizes that as residents age they need support to remain in their homes as long as possible. St. James NEST provides a valuable service to his neighbors and he is excited to be a part of this organization.
Corrie Bovier, St. James NEST President Emeritus
Corrie has lived in The Woodlands in St. James since August 2014. She moved from Silver Spring, Maryland, which is just outside of Washington, DC. Corrie got involved in the St. James NEST endeavor because she had previous knowledge of the ‘Village concept’ when she was living in Maryland. Additionally, she’d seen some of the challenges that her parents and friends’ parents had encountered as they aged and realized that in most neighborhoods there wasn’t the available infrastructure to help them. The concept of neighbors helping other neighbors stay in their homes as they aged seemed to fill a need and was also a way to ‘pay it forward.’ Corrie states, "most of us think that needing help as we age won’t happen to us; that it only happens to others. Sadly, that just isn’t true."