CRTA Leadership

Betty Soennichsen
State President
Prior to being elected State President, Betty Soennichsen served as State Secretary, State Legislation Chair and Division President as well as numerous other positions. In her professional career, Betty taught primary grades in Moreland School District for 20 years and worked as a consultant for the district for five years after her retirement in 1983. Betty has been married to husband John for 59 years and has two children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Her personal goal for CRTA is “To involve a majority of our members as active membership recruiters to enable us to increase membership significantly.”

Polly Bacich
State President Elect
Polly held many offices within CRTA prior to being elected State President Elect. She served as Area II Director, Division 51 President and Legislation Chair and been a member of the State Legislation Committee and Area II Legislation Platform Committee. Prior to retiring in 1989, Polly worked 31 years in Hayward Unified School District as a teacher, assistant principal and counselor. She’s been married to husband Jack for 57 years and has three children, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Her personal goal for CRTA is “to assure its members of an affordable health care program.”

George Avak
State Past-President
George Avak served as CRTA’s State President from 2005 to 2007. Prior to being elected, he served in many division and area leadership roles including Division 12 Legislation Chair, First Vice President and President, and Area VII Legislation Chair and Director. In his professional career, George worked as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, training teacher for USC, vice principal and principal. He retired in 1988. He and wife Elaine enjoy ballroom dancing and traveling the world. Both of their children are also teachers. George’s personal goal for CRTA is “to substantially increase the state membership of CRTA and to make it the best known teachers’ retirement association representing 170,000 retired California teachers.”

Natalie Guyton
State Secretary
Natalie Guyton held many division and area positions prior to being elected State Secretary in 2005. In Division 28 she served as President, Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary and still serves as Newsletter Editor, Financial Secretary, and Database Manager. In Area VII she continues her role as Webmaster. During her professional career, Natalie taught math and P.E. at Morro Bay Elementary School, Napa High School and for the Ventura Unified School District where she also taught TV Production. She retired in 1983. Natalie raised three sons, has three grandchildren and one great granddaughter. She worked for many years with the Camp Fire Girls organization and holds a radio amateur license. Natalie’s personal goal for CRTA is to “update the image of CRTA to attract more new retirees.”

Beverly Brennan
State Treasurer
Prior to being elected as State Treasurer in 2001, Beverly Brennan served as Area VIII Director from 1999 to 2001. During her 33 years of teaching, Beverly taught Spanish, English and journalism at Chaffey High School and Alta Loma High School. She and her husband have two children, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Beverly’s goal for CRTA is “to assist in obtaining the most benefits possible for all CRTA members.”

Bill Ruehmann
Area I Director
Bill Ruehmann serves as Director for Area I and Chair of the State Web Committee. He is also a member of the CRTA State PAC, Web Master for Area I, Division 39 and Division 27, and a former President of Division 39. Bill worked as a math teacher and department chair at the middle and high school levels for 32 years in the Santa Rosa City School System then served as an adjunct math teacher at Santa Rosa Community College after public school retirement. He also worked for six summers at a private international high school in Lysin, Switzerland. Bill and wife Pat have been married since 1961 and have a son and daughter. They also have three grandchildren from their exchange student daughter in Paris. Bill’s short term goals for CRTA includes “assisting in getting useful and attractive Web sites online for each area and division and the development of a health care package that would offer adequate coverage at a modest cost for all teacher retirees.”

Bill Kipp
Area II Director
Prior to being elected as Area II Director, Bill Kipp served as Chair of the State Communications Committee and President of Division 16. He also represented CRTA at the National Educator Support Network Conference and the NRTA Leadership Conference. Prior to retiring in 1995, Bill served as a teacher at the elementary, junior high and high school levels, and worked as a principal, personnel director, assistant superintendent of instruction and superintendent. He was named Superintendent of the Year by ACSA in 1994. Bill and his wife of 53 years, Dene, have four children and three grandchildren. In addition to CRTA, Bill’s volunteer efforts include serving as the AARP Regional Volunteer Leader for Northern California, and as a HICAP and long-term care counselor. Bill’s goals for CRTA include “strengthening the partnerships with NRTA, AARP, ACSA and other educator special interest groups and improving the communication and involvement in CRTA.”

Joseph M. Dion
Area III Director
Joe Dion currently serves as Area III Director. Prior to his current position he volunteered as Chair of the State Insurance Committee and as Division 75 President and Treasurer. Prior to retiring in 1993, Joe worked as a teacher and middle school principal for the San Juan Unified School District. He was also President of the ACSA San Juan Administrators Association and President of ACSA Region III. Currently he serves as a member of the Citrus Heights Water District Board of Directors and Chairman of the Regional Water Authority Board of Directors. Joe has four sons, one daughter and 10 grandchildren. His personal goal for CRTA is to “seek ways and means to continue to move CRTA into the 21st century to meet the needs of all its members.”

Orville Johnson
Area IV Director
Prior to his current position as Area IV Director, Orville Johnson served three terms as State Secretary, and was a member of the State Budget and Finance Committee, State Member Services Committee, State Membership Committee, and the State Emergency Loan Committee. He also served as Division 59 President and Financial Secretary. During his 35-year career, Orville taught elementary grades for 12 years in Hayward and served as principal at both the elementary and junior high level in Newark for 23 years. After retiring in 1987, he substituted for seven years. He and wife Jean have been married since 1949, and they have two children and two grandchildren. Orville’s personal goals for CRTA are to “repeal the WEP and GPO.”

Ann Hansen
Area V Director
Ann Hansen currently serves as Area V Director. Prior to her current position she served as Division 6 President and volunteered on the State Nominations and Elections Committee. Before retiring in 1995, Ann taught second, fourth, fifth and sixth grades in the Moreland School District, though fifth grade was her favorite. She was also president of the teachers’ association and on the contract writing committee and the bargaining team for several years. Ann has three children and two grandchildren. After retiring Ann was an artists’ representative for three years representing five artists in the San Jose area. Her personal goal for CRTA is “for us to really get to know our members. When we know our members, their needs and their talents, we can serve them better. And as we serve our members, we become an even stronger organization.”

Carol Luhring
Area VI Director
Prior to her current position as Area VI Director, Carol Luhring served as Division 34 Treasurer and on several Division committees including Scholarship, Games Day and Newsletter. Before she retired in 1997, Carol taught for 25 years, plus 10 years as vice principal, for the Merced River School District. She has three children and six wonderful grandchildren. Carol’s favorite quote is “Don’t run faster than your guardian angel can fly.” As for personal goals for CRTA, Carol says “We all appreciate the need for increased membership but my personal goal for the next year is to find ways to increase participation in Area VI’s division meetings and activities.”

Ann C. Slatten
Area VII Director
Ann Slatten currently serves as Area VII Director. Prior to her current position she was very active in Division 28, first joining that Board in 1991. She served as Division 28 Treasurer, First Vice President and President. Prior to retiring in 1991, Ann taught for 34 years including 30 years at Thousand Oaks High School. She also served as Mathematics Department Chair for over 20 years. Ann has six children, 12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. In her free time she enjoys cooking, sewing, gardening, traveling, reading, playing golf and bridge.

Kathryn S. Zahrt
Area VIII Director
Prior to being elected as Area VIII Director, Kay Zahrt was Division 13’s Legislation Chair and Bylaws Chair. During her 34 years in education, Kay taught elementary, junior high and high school. She was Home Economics Department Head at Edgewood High School in West Covina and spent the last eight years in education as High School Associated Student Body Director. She retired in 1985. Kay has four children and two grandchildren. Kay and her husband took half-year sabbaticals in 1967 and traveled around the world with their four children (aged 9-16). They had airline tickets with destinations but no other reservations. They refinanced their house, sold their car and traveled with only four suitcases. “Our lives were changed, for the better, forever.”

Dr. Ralph Villani
Area IX Director
Dr. Ralph Villani currently serves as Area IX Director. Prior to this position he served as Division 89 President and First Vice President. Before he retired in 1991, Dr. Villani worked as a high school teacher, elementary and high school principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He also was a Board Member for the Santa Monica Community College and worked as a part-time university professor. Dr. Villani is an active member of AARP and current serves on the Region IV Management Team. He and wife Barbara have two children and five grandchildren. His personal goal for CRTA is to “increase membership and motivate others to seek leadership roles.”

Leona P. Wenrick
Area X Director
Prior to her current role as Area X Director, Lee Wenrick served as President of Division 44, Communications Committee Chair at the state, area and division levels, and served on Ad Hoc Committees. During her teaching years Lee taught grades 1 – 6, was a Master Teacher, Bilingual/Bicultural Teacher, and faculty representative. She served on Curriculum & Program Development Committees, State Program Evaluation Teams, and was an officer for the California Association of Bilingual Educators. She retired in 1988. She has been blessed with four children and eight grandchildren. About CRTA she says, “We have progressed from a ‘Mom and Pop’ organization to a ‘sophisticated’ organization serving all educators and public education.”

Norma Huhn
Area XI Director
Norma Huhn is serving her first year as Area XI Director. Prior to this position, Norma was on the State Communications Committee representing Area XI and volunteered for Division 78 as President, Vice President of Programs and Chair of Communications and Resource Services. Before she retired in 1996, Norma taught two years in Michigan and 37 years in the San Diego Unified School District. She has two sons and two grandchildren. Norma was raised on a large farm in Central Michigan and graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo prior to moving to San Diego. Her goals for CRTA are that “I would like to make a difference in the lives of retired teachers. I want to support legislation that fosters that goal. I plan to assist Area XI Division leaders to increase membership and to encourage all members to become more active in their Divisions.”

Tom Collette
Area XII Director
Tom Collette has been very involved in CRTA prior to his term as Area XII Director. He held many positions within Division 22 including Secretary, Membership Chair, Program Chair, Vice President and President. He’s also served as Membership Chair for Area XII. Prior to retiring in 1994, Tom taught elementary grades including one year at a private school in England. He also worked as a teaching principal for one year. Tom has traveled extensively during his lifetime, visiting over 80 countries. His favorite quote is “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” His personal goal for CRTA is “to continue to bring in new members to CRTA and to tell retired educators the important reasons to join.”