2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

In June of 2016, a Board of Directors was slated from a group of parents who expressed interest in serving in a leadership role. The inaugural Board served a two year term and since then there have been new members stepping up into Board positions as they become available. The Board is always looking for extra help in each of the focus areas. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer!

Lydia Wright - President

Vickery Place
Future Cougars: Charlie (class of 2019) and Gwenie (class of 2021)

I am a part time stay-at-home mom with a five year old, Charlie (GH Cougar class of 2019) and a three year old, Gwenie (GH Cougar class of 2021). My husband, Ben, has a veterinary clinic that has served family pets in our neighborhood for the last twelve years. I have lived and worked in East Dallas since college and this is truly my home now. I also previously served as a board member for Heart House Dallas, an after-school program for refugees in the Vickery Meadows neighborhood. When I'm not running after Charlie and Gwenie (which is basically all we do at the current moment), I love cooking with my husband, squeezing in a workout, dreaming about our next trip to Italy and hanging out with family and friends.

I previously served as the School Liaison for Pre-G before taking over as President this fall. My pre-Mom life was a career with DISD for fifteen years so hopefully my experience in elementary education will be an asset in this role for Pre-Geneva. I have a strong passion for public education and our corner of East Dallas which drew me to Geneva Heights and Pre-G. The bonus of meeting other moms at the same phase of life as me who I can lean on or pour a glass of wine for is priceless. I am excited about the momentum that is building at Geneva Heights and can't wait to see how Pre-Geneva can help Geneva Heights get better and better.

Erica White - VP: Membership

Belmont Addition
Future Cougars: Charlie (class of 2020) and Faye (class of 2021)

My husband Brandon and I have lived in Belmont Addition since 2012 and our son Charlie attends Spanish House part time, Faye will attend in 2019. A huge draw to the neighborhood is all of the young families and the dual-language program at GH. Being bilingual, it is important my kids are as well and so glad to see a school offer a great program!

After working extensively in business development with start-ups, I partner with my husband's fitness company in addition to teaching yoga to adults and children in the community.

As VP of Membership, my goal is to recruit and welcome new members. Plan to see me in the area educating parents about the amazing benefits available to members of Pre-G!

Leah Williams - VP: Communications and Outreach

Future Cougar: Jenna (2022)

My husband Stuart and I are both East Dallas natives. Stuart grew up in Lake Highlands, and I grew up a few blocks from Tietze - my parents still live in the same house. I am a product of Mockingbird Elementary (shh, don’t tell!), J. L. Long and Woodrow Wilson. Fun fact - Principal Hart was my 6th grade teacher so I can vouch for him! Growing up here, we’ve seen how much East Dallas and Lower Greenville has changed for the better, including Geneva Heights! After we got married, we immediately started looking for a house in the area. We first rented a duplex on Miller and a year later we moved three blocks down the road a bought a house on Llano. We love the neighborhood and its walkability.

I own a boutique public relations agency, Dala Communications, and Stuart heads up development for The Concilio, a non-profit in Oak Cliff. We first got involved in Pre-G through Wendy. Wendy’s construction firm is one of my long-time clients. I didn’t work with Wendy directly but we were introduced through her colleague who said, “you have to meet Wendy. She is the queen of moms in your neighborhood.” He was right! The group has grown so much since it began, and it has been a blast to be a part of the excitement and momentum that is Pre-G.

As VP of Communications, my role is to continue to get the word out to the community and our neighbors about all of the wonderful things Pre-G has in store. From creating our monthly newsletters to ensuring our events are well publicized, I’m focused on growing awareness for our fun network of parents and neighbors, with the goal of getting more members and prospects involved. A more engaged community only means one thing for our neighborhood school – a better education for our kids and all who attend Geneva Heights!

Melinda Trujillo - Treasurer

Lakewood Heights
Future Cougars: Gwendolyn (Class of 2020) and Madeleine (Class of 2022)

My husband, Thomas, and I have lived in Lakewood Heights since 2012. Prior to moving to our current neighborhood, we were located in Uptown and then moved to Florida for a few years, but knew this was the neighborhood we wanted to be in when we moved back to the Big D! We love the quaint neighborhood feel and all that it entails in the big city. I work full-time for an investment management firm in Uptown, and Thomas is an audit partner at KPMG. Our girls attend preschool at Skillman Church of Christ Child Development Center. When we aren’t chasing after our girls, we love to find the best new restaurants, travel, and spend time with friends and family.

Pre-Geneva Association was introduced to me by a friend that lives in the neighborhood, and immediately I knew this was an organization I wanted to get involved in. I am elated to support this organization and our children’s future school – with a bonus of getting to know some really amazing neighborhood moms (and dads) at the same time!! As Treasurer, I will maintain all financial records and budgets for our organization.

Kristen Orlando - VP of Programming

Belmont Addition
Cougar: Lucca (Kinder, Dual Language)
Future Cougars: Laila (Class of 2022)

Lydia Hathorn - Secretary

Vickery Place
Cougar: Connor (Kinder class of 2020, currently in Dual Language PreK4)
Future Cougars: Claire (Kinder class of 2024)

After living in NYC and New Jersey for 7 years, a new job offer for my husband, Chris, brought our family to Dallas in 2016. Neither of us are from the northeast (I’m from Missouri, he’s from Louisiana), and what we felt was most lacking from our lives during our time in NYC/NJ was a sense of belonging to a community. When the time came to buy a house in Dallas, finding a neighborhood that felt like home with a school where our kids could flourish and thrive in a network of caring neighbors and friends was at the top of our priority list. Vickery Place and Geneva Heights seemed the perfect fit. This past fall, we confirmed that Geneva Heights Elementary is indeed a very special place - Connor is currently enrolled in the dual language PreK4 class and loving it. Claire and I enjoy volunteering in the school library, where she’s already building a fan club that awaits her kindergarten arrival in 2024.

When I’m not working part-time as a women’s health nurse practitioner at Parkland Hospital, I can often be seen walking the kids to school (always running late, of course), strolling Greenville with the family in search of a new place to try for dinner, or heading to Tietze Park after grabbing coffee from Halcyon. My hobbies include DIY home improvement projects, gift wrapping, hunting for a good bargain, dancing at the drop of a hat, home organization, and color coding my planner (now you know why I’m the secretary).

Crystal Woods - Parliamentarian

Belmont Addition
Future Cougar: Jamis (Class of 2022)

My husband, Jarrett, and I are both Dallas/Fort Worth natives. He beat me to the neighborhood in 2009, but I was quick to join him, with us buying a home together in the Belmont Conservation District home in 2012. It has been incredible to watch the area grow and thrive, and particularly exciting to see so many young families move in. We love East Dallas, particularly the character, traditions, and unique people that it encompasses, and could not be more excited about what is to come.

We soak up as much time as possible with our son Jamis, who currently attends Skillman Child Development Center and will start kindergarten at Geneva Heights in 2022. I work full-time as an employment litigation attorney at DLA Piper LLP (US) located in downtown, and my husband is a multi-family developer. We love traveling (even with a toddler), live music, sailing, and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends.

As the Parliamentarian, I try to ensure we dot all of the i’s and cross all of the t’s so that Pre-Geneva can continue to do the amazing work that it is doing. It is so exciting to be part of this incredible organization that has already made such a marked difference in just the few years since it was established—not just for our school, but for our neighborhood and in bringing our community together.

Abigail Hopkins - Underwriting Chair

Belmont Addition
Future Cougar:Penelope - Class of 2023

New to the area in the summer of 2018, my realtor (a fellow pre-G mom) recommended the Greenville area because of the amazing restaurants and good schools, but what really made the difference was the community! My husband, Keith and daughter, Penelope have been welcomed into this area and I do not know where I would be without the Pre-G moms! So far we are loving our East Dallas experience and look forward to seeing the neighborhood continue to grow.

I work as a full time Financial Planning and Analytics Vice President at BlackRock Asset Management and my husband works in Irving for a media company.

As the underwriting chair, my main job is to provide support to the board and help drive support of our fundraising initiatives.

Kim Turbes - Social Chair

Lakewood Heights

Future Cougar: Cash (Class of 2023)

My husband Todd and I moved to Dallas spring of 2018. We both grew up in the Midwest and spent the majority of our adult lives in Chicago, which is where we met. Moving to Dallas, a place where we knew no one was a bit daunting, but hey, what’s life without a little adventure!

Prior to our move, we knew we wanted to live in Dallas proper – no suburbs for us! Plus, we didn’t want too long of a commute for Todd, whose office is at the Galleria. And we wanted an area with walkability with a family-friendly atmosphere. What drew us to the area is all the different styles of homes as well as the different types of people in the area – retirees, young families, empty nesters, and even some singles. We also really loved that Tietze Park was within walking distance!

I must admit that moving to a new city, as first-time parents and not knowing anyone was a lot more difficult than Todd or I expected. But as time went on and we got into a groove, things got better and when I found the Pre-Geneva group, it was the cherry on top. Being able to meet other new moms and having some adult-only social interactions has been tremendous! We thought it was so great that a group of parents joined together in an effort to make their neighborhood better by helping to spearhead the rise of Geneva Heights!

Since Cash loves being outside, rain or shine, you can find us rolling around the neighborhood in his McLaren “car,” having breakfast on the weekends at The Heights, or playing at Tietze Park. We also love visiting the Perot Museum.

My role is to help wherever is needed and I am looking forward to all the wonderful events we have planned for 2020!

PRE-GENEVA ASSOCIATION