BDAAC Newsletter - January 2009

Spotlight on Members

LaVerne Thomas

LaVerne brings a wealth of interests and talents to BDAAC. A graduate of Mt. Healthy High School and Cincinnati State, she is a billing representative at Duke Energy. Her day job is only part of the picture however.

She also finds time to share her talents as a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired. She is the founder of Yadah Church Interpreters and co-founder of the Cincinnati African American Interpreters Network. LaVerne also presents workshops on sign language interpretation and enjoys the opportunities to assist deaf customers that come to Duke Energy for service.

You may also frequently find LaVerne in the kitchen. She is a wedding cake baker. Her confectionary delights are works of art. She truly enjoys working with brides to bring a special touch to their special day. Whether she is baking a cake for 200 or working on a special batch of her delicious cupcakes, LaVerne puts a little extra love into every thing she bakes. An entrepreneur by nature, LaVerne also owns a small business, "I love you. . .More," which specializes in message magnets.

The proud mother of two sons, both in college, she is full of energy and enthusiasm. Her message to share with others: "Don't leave earth without living the life you were born to live!"

Busy people always find time to do more. Thank you LaVerne for finding just a little more time to share with BDAAC and welcome aboard!

Dr. Nancy Waldeck

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Nancy Waldeck to the BDAAC Committee as one of our newest members. Nancy recently moved back to Cincinnati after teaching at two universities outside the area. She is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Mt. St. Joseph.

Nancy's love and appreciation for the arts began at an early age. She recalls being awakened from childhood naps by Offenbach's "Gaite Parisian," a spirited piece written about Parisian can-can dancers. Nancy's grandparents, poor immigrants at the turn of the 20^th century, loved music, and it was an important part of their lives. Nancy's grandfather, who trained as a clarinet player as a child, regaled her with stories about traveling Europe in child bands and marching with Sousa and Webers big bands. Nancy's grandmother loved opera, and they listened together to the MET operas on radio.

Nancy learned to play the flamenco guitar as a child and played for about 20 years. She still has her guitar, given as a gift when she was young, tucked away in a closet. She inherited her love of opera from her grandmother and has supported this medium not only in Cincinnati, but also in Columbus, Toledo and San Francisco—the cities she lived in while she was away from Cincinnati.

Nancy earned a Ph.D. in Labor and Human Resources from The Ohio State University and is a busy professor, author and consultant. She has been a community volunteer and mentor to students inside and outside the academic arena and says, "The arts have definitely enriched my life. They can help us to feel connected to the world as we see ourselves in the characters on the stage, museum wall or written page."