Team Member Pictures and Biographies

Enzo

I started getting involved into Habitat for Humanity in 2001, just after my retirement. That year I joined a team on a trip to Kenya. I enjoyed my experience, was accepted as team leader on a subsequent trip, and here I am eight years later with seven teams led to the South Pacific region, three to South East Asia, and two to Africa. I was lucky as well to be part of a team lead by Diana and Steve in Biloxi, Mississippi in October 2008. That extremely positive experience refocused my destination to the US. I am looking for sharing with you this new Habitat adventure in South Dakota.







Steve

Since retiring a few years ago, I have been actively involved with Habitat. I went to team leader training in 2007 and have since led a Global Village team to Braga, Portugal (May 2008). Diana and I co-led a team to Biloxi, Mississippi (October 2008). I volunteered a month with Habitat in Biloxi (January 2009) and am co-leading a team to Anchorage, Alaska with my son late July/early August 2009.
This will be my third trip with Enzo..Lampang(Thailand(2007), and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (2008), and now South Dakota (2009). Looking forward to seeing and working with everyone on our Habitat build in Eagle Butte.







Christiana

My name is Christiana, people call me Tina. I was a military brat and was raised mostly in Germany and Africa, but have called Virginia my home for the past 25+years. I have 2 rescue dogs that I adopted from shelter, I work in the IT industry, and also attend college in the evening and weekends. On top of my IT studies, I also study Physical and Cultural Anthropology and Indigenous Tribes. This is my second GV trip, the first was to Ulaanbaatar and Kharkhorin, Momgolia. I love traveling, especially when I can participate in daily rituals and culture of the people, if even for just a short time. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the team and experience the culture of the Sioux tribe.







Diana

I am a California native, having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and now near Sacramento. I have worked for Hewlett-Packard for 39 years, most of the time as a business manager. I have one married daughter and three wonderful, active grandchildren who live nearby. This will be my fifth Habitat trip with Enzo: Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Thailand, Borneo, next South Dakota. I am very much looking forward to the South Dakota event and to reuniting with some known and many new HFH adventurers. These trips allow me to experience other cultures from what I term as the inside-out, so I am sure another exiting journey lies ahead.







Michelle

I am the mother of a 20 year old son who is on his third year of university, and a 16 year old daughter who thinks she is in the third year at university. I am presently a stay home mom who does volunteer work in Mississauga, Ontario (20 minutes from Toronto). I work on a number of boards that involve children and camping. Before my “retirement” I took young offenders out to the wildness, camping with project DARE and worked as both a correctional officer and probation officer. In my spare time I enjoy skiing, snowboarding, working out, reading and knitting. Because of Enzo, I have caught “Habititis”: this will be my fifth trip with him. I was fortunate to accompany him to Uganda, Thailand, Vietnam, and to be in his team to Papua New Guinea in April 2009. Before I joined his team, I participated in a trip to Guyana . I recently participated to a trip to Jordan with a Canadian Habitat team.







Leslie

I am 42 year old proud mother of two incredible young men. I live in Stoney Creek, Ontario which is about 1 hour west of Toronto. I have always had an adventurous side to me, that has led made me to be very curious of other cultures and customs. I have been in the service industry for 18 years which included owning and running my own restaurant. I am currently starting a new career in the financial industry. In my spare time I enjoy snowboarding, traveling, working out and hanging out with Michelle. I am so exited to finally be part of one of Michelle’s Habitat stories. Looking forward to meeting you all.







Danette

Hi, my name is Danette; I live in Medicine Hat, a city of 60,000 in Alberta, Canada. I work as a Legal Assistant. I have two cats (Isabelle & Frodo).
My interests include: drama, fitness, the outdoors, adventures, friends, laughing and I am a volunteer Big Sister to a wonderful 12 year old girl. This will be my third Habitat trip with Enzo, July 06 I was part of his team to Uganda, Africa & June 07 to Thailand. I look forward to our adventure to South Dakota and meeting you all.







Suzanne

I’m Suzanne and I currently reside in Brooklyn, New York. I had the privilege of being on Enzo’s team to Malaysia last summer and on a build led by Diana and Steve in Biloxi where Enzo was a teammate. I look forward to being a member of yet another dynamic team and working together to carry out the mission of Habitat for Humanity.







Bridgit

I am a second year high school teacher from New Jersey. I currently teach Physical Education and Health, and I just started taking graduate courses this past year toward my Master’s Degree in Health. This will be my first Global Village trip. However, I have experience working with Habitat for Humanity in Alabama. I also volunteered on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana through Global Volunteers. I love travel and thoroughly enjoy learning about different cultures. I am looking forward to working hard and learning about the Sioux culture.
Some of my interests include: photography, playing the guitar, traveling, hiking, climbing, skiing, and participating in organized sports.







Shannon

I live in Cold Spring Harbor, NY and am the mother of three and (am I really that old?) grandmother of three. I am eagerly awaiting a build in Eagle Butte since a friend led a build there two years ago. My first build was in Taos, New Mexico where I first encountered and came to love the Native American culture. Since then I have done two builds in Kauai, HI where I had the pleasure of attending the blessing of the 100th home just two weeks ago. Other builds include Slidell, LA; New Orleans, LA ; Braga, Portugal and once-in-a-lifetime I-Did-A-Build in Anchorage, Alaska in February which coincided with the Iditarod. I also participated in the last two Carter Work Projects in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Other than my Habitat activities I am quite boring and am looking forward to meeting and working with all of you.







Joanne

Hi all. Personally I am a proud mother of two terrific young men who are both in college. I love to workout, read, cook, dance, travel, and in general to enjoy life and people. My profession is the business side of health care where I do the Business Development work for 3,200 physicians. I reside in northwest suburbs of Chicago. My first Habitat experience was in October 2008 when I joined Global Village and met a group of independent volunteers in Biloxi. 2 days into the trip I was hooked. For any of you who have been there before…you know what I mean. For anyone joining in the first time…welcome and be prepared to be hooked!
See you all soon.







Ginger

I always feel like I’m writing a person ad when I do this... but here goes. I live on the Northshore of Massachusetts with husband Jim and son Zack (14). My first Habitat adventure was last summer in Malaysia with Enzo. I worked for Hewlett-Packard (where I met Diana 20+ years ago), but “retired” in 1999 to be home for my family. I enjoy photography and have a small business “GingerSnaps” selling my photo cards and framed artwork. I am very excited to join up with some past Habitat “family” members from Malaysia and meet and work with new ones! See you in South Dakota!







Julie

Howdy! I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA (where I also went to school and graduated from Sac. State with a Computer Science degree). I currently work in the Information Technology field for Hewlett–Packard.
For several years, Diana has told me about her fascinating trips to various international Habitat locations. I finally succumbed to the lure and joined one that she and Steve led to Biloxi, Mississippi last October 2008. I am so glad that I did since not only was it a truly rewarding experience to help in the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts, but also I was able to meet and work with some really great and interesting people-including Enzo and a few other folks that will join us on the South Dakota build in July.
I look forward to catching up with some ‘old’ friends and making some brand new ones on this next trip. I know that it will be another fun-filled and unforgettable experience!
See you all in July!







Gary

Gary was raised in a farm in central Nebraska and graduated in from the University of Nebraska in 1974 with a B.S. in Pharmacy. He has been employed with the Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, since 1978. He has been married to his wife Dot for 32 years, and they have a daughter Katie who is a senior at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Dot and Gary share their home with two Golden Retrievers, Nelly and Corona. Gary has been involved with leading several groups of local high school seniors on spring builds in Denver, one build in the Dominican Republic in February 2008, and the Gulf Coast in October 2008. He is looking forward to participating in the South Dakota project.






Sieglinde, aka Sissi
My name is Sieglinde, but most people find it too difficult and call me Sissi. I grew up in a small town in Southern Bavaria, Germany. I studied medicine in Munich and after marrying my husband, who is a native Californian, I moved to the US. I completed my residency in internal medicine in San Jose, Ca. After the birth of my second son, Daniel, I stopped practicing medicine and have been a full time homemaker since that time. I love to hike and swim and I generally enjoy the outdoors. My husband took our oldest son on two GV trips and now it’s my turn to take Daniel. I feel very lucky to be amongst so many experienced Habitat people and look forward to immerse myself into Sioux culture.






Daniel
My name is Daniel and I am 16 years old. I currently attend 10th grade. My passion is mountain biking, but I also enjoy painting, woodworking and photography. My older brother has been on 2 GV trips and I am excited that this summer it is my turn to join a Habitat team. I am looking forward to meet you all.