Board
Left to right: Linda, Michelle, Claudia, Elaine, Jacqueline, Heidi, and Mia (Nok is not pictured.)
President: Linda M. Eviston
Linda was born in Vancouver, Canada and then moved to Ireland, her parents' homeland. She met her German husband, Michael, there in `83 and has been living between Germany and Ireland since. She is an Alternative Practitioner and has been a vegetarian for more than 30 years as are her three children, Victoria 18, Jacqueline 20 and Christian 22. Linda lives in the Fränkische Schweiz and loves the peace and closeness to nature that living in the countryside offers.Contact Linda at president@womensgroup.de.
Vice President: Mia Van der Heijden
My name is Mia van der Heijden. I am almost 45 years old, married to Marc, and the mother of a wonderful daughter Lin, 3 years old. Before moving back to Nuremberg in 2009, we lived and worked in Canada, Germany, and China. Originally, we are from the Netherlands. I am a life coach, teacher, trainer and exhibiting artist with an insatiable curiosity to understand what drives people. I enjoy combining doing all the things I love, which is being involved with people and creating art. I have been a member of the IWG for a long time. This group has helped me to get on my feet, especially after our first move to Germany in 2001. It is an honor to be on the board and I hope it will be a wonderful time we will spend together. Contact Mia at vicepresident@womensgroup.de.
Events: Elaine Franz
Originally from Taiwan, Elaine has migrated with her family when she was a teenager to US and lived ten years in beautiful sunny southern California. Prior to marriage, she has worked in the field of international business and accounting at Siemens where she met her husband. Ten years of marriage, she has been travelling with her husband around the world and till recently, they have finally settled down with two children in middle Franconia. Now as a full-time mother and a housewife, she enjoys cooking, reading, classical music, biking, hiking and yoga. Elaine is more than delighted to be given the chance to serve in IWG board as Program/Events Coordinator and hopes to meet more people and to explore new life here in Germany. Contact Elaine at events@womensgroup.de.
Newcomers: Nok Pollard
Nok is from Thailand and is living in Herzogenaurach with her British husband and her beautiful daughter, Josephine. Nok has been a member for 10 years and is very active in the IWG as well as in the FIS. She is proud of her Thai heritage and enjoys cooking and the dress of her homeland. Contact Nok atnewcomers@womensgroup.de.
Editor: Jacqueline Eviston-Putsch
Jacqueline was born in Germany, however spent her childhood and teenage years between Erlangen and Ireland. After graduating from the FIS last year she has now commenced her studies in the UK, Brighton, where she is studying English Literature, Media and French. As an aspiring writer and journalist this opportunity as editor has become a challenging and knowledgeable experience. Contact Jacqui at editor@womensgroup.de.
Secretary: Claudia Gall-Kayser
Claudia was born and raised in Germany, near Frankfurt. She studied Organizational Psychology, worked in Marketing, and then went to Boston with her husband, both as students. She got an MBA and her first child, a boy, and a new career as family manager because back in Germany, they had another boy and a girl. She and her family moved to Toronto, Munich, Seoul and Erlangen due to her husband’s job obligations. The kids are off to universities, so Claudia is now busy with volunteer work for the hospice and the GVE (they organize classical concerts), and happy to serve on the IWG board. Contact Claudia at secretary@womensgroup.de.
Treasurer: Heidi Teufel
Hello, I’m Heidi. I have been living in the area since 2000. Before that we spent 3 years living in China. I’m married and have two grown up children. I like skiing, running and playing tennis. My profession is on the commercial side and I work part time in an aesthetic surgery practice. Contact Heidi at treasurer@womensgroup.de.
Webmaster: Michelle Malcosky
Michelle came to Germany in 2007 from the Great Lakes region of the United States. She is a biologist (botanical specialization) and works as an environmental consultant, spending her summers in the U.S. studying the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Michelle lives with her German husband, Normann, in a quiet little village east of Forchheim. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, sailing, reading, scuba diving, cuisine/wine, and exploring the great outdoors. Contact Michelle at webmaster@womensgroup.de.