December 2018 Volunteers of the Month
Four members of our club were awarded "Volunteer of the Month" in December for their outstanding work in developing and running new leagues for our members:
Donna Duffy
Conley Giles
Al Kitamorn
Sheiia Quinn
Conley Giles
Conley Giles is an avid pickleball player and reformed tennis player. Professionally, he has 35 years experience in bringing products from idea to marketplace with patents for business processes, building components, packaging systems, and sporting goods. He is currently involved with www.FurtherEbike.com developing and importing electric bikes, www.PickleballMasters.club leagues and tournaments, and www.PHIProject.org a Georgetown community for Purple Heart Veterans. He moved to Sun City 3 years ago full time to help his 90 year old mom (an original Sun City resident) recover from a broken hip and pelvis. He has also been a member of The Austin Toastmasters Club for the past 4 decades.
Donna Duffy
Brad and I were first introduced to pickleball in 2008 when we were looking for a place to retire. We were touring the Robson retirement communities in Tucson, Az. and saw all these short little courts. Everyone was having such a fun time on the courts, and we both agreed, when we retired the facilities had to include pickleball. We moved to Sun City in 2010 and joined the P.B. club. Brad took to the sport quickly; not so much for me. It took me awhile, but finally pickleball was added to my list of sports. I entered my first pickleball singles tournament at the Senior Games in San Antonio and loved the fast pace of play. As we all know our courts are really busy, so it is hard to just grab a court for singles. I talked Mary Payne and Kathy Carr into helping me form a singles league in Sun City so we would have a dedicated time and a place to play singles. Hence, Pickleball Singles Fun Days, tournaments and leagues were a reality. I am looking forward to the start of our singles pickleball league in January. I hope all you singles players will join us.
Al Kitamorn
I was born and raised in Bangkok Thailand. In school, I was always interested in math and science. When I finished high school, I helped my family manage our hardware and paint store business. After a few years, I wanted to pursue a higher education in science and engineering. I convinced my parents to support my personal goals. I came to the US to attend college with a major in Electrical Engineering. Barbara and I met through our mutual friends. Later she told me that she found my ambition and college GPA appealing. We shared many common interests and values, so we married soon after.
Newly married and still in college, I was recruited by IBM as a computer technician. I continued to attend college at night and received my degree in Computer Science. To pursue my career advancement within IBM, we relocated from Ohio to Poughkeepsie, NY and later to Austin, TX to work on the Mainframe computer design and development. Having fulfilled my career, our financial goals, and Barbara's urging, I retired from IBM after 35 years.
Barbara and I have been married for 40 years and we have 2 children, Sage and Kayla. We moved to Sun City in 2013. Sandy Pilan introduced us to Pickleball as one of our N56 neighborhood activities. We joined the club soon after. We enjoyed the club training, Spring/Fall tournaments and other organized activities. We really appreciate all the volunteers' contributions that make this club successful. Both of us are happy to contribute as a way to say thanks to all others.
Sheila Quinn
First off, this request for highlights of my life so far is much better than writing my obituary!
My journey started in Tucson, Arizona as the oldest child of four. My parents were New Englanders from Vermont who chose to go off into the wild blue yonder via the Air Force in the early 50's. We lived in Arizona, England, Arkansas, New Hampshire and finally Texas. My college career started at the University of New Hampshire and ended at the University of Texas in Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. I completed my RN degree, followed by Master's degree and post graduate degree for Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in 1994. My professional career started in Ft. Worth, then Austin, San Antonio, College Station and will end in Round Rock in mid 2019 completing 43 years of caring for babies of all sizes and degrees of illness and wellness.
I have two daughters who live in Austin and San Antonio. My oldest daughter has two daughters as well of whom are the light of my life!! She is an interior designer working downtown Austin. I am priming my oldest granddaughter to be my private duty nurse someday! My youngest is a fitness trainer in San Antonio who is my constant inspiration towards healthy living practices.
My parents instilled a love of sports and outdoor activities in all of us while growing up. Through a variety of experiences and love for being active, I have been blessed to play a number of sports in my lifetime including biking, skiing, golfing, tennis, softball, swimming and now, my current favorite, PICKLEBALL! My introduction to pickleball was earlier this year and it was love at first sight. The social aspect combined with constant movement and required reaction is a perfect combination to foster a new addiction for me! The pickleball community in Sun City is a terrific example of a welcoming community that encourages anyone to at least try smacking the ball across the net and utilize memory skills in keeping scores. I am looking forward to improving my pickleball abilities and fostering friendships on and off the courts!