I spent the first 6 years of my life near Austin and Roosevelt on the
Chicago west side. After six years in Hillside, my family of 8 moved to
Wheaton where I spent 7th and 8th grade at St. Michael's. During my four
years at WCHS (Class of '70), I spent much of my time in the Speech and
Theatre Department, with wonderful mentor teacher Les Schomas, and in student
government. I spent some in the College of DuPage Theatre Department and then
in 1976 graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Theatre
(primarily Directing).  While at COD, I met and married Mark Yackley
(Glenbard West '70.)
     After a great road trip west in '76, we spent a year in Portland, Oregon
and then moved to Los Angeles where we have lived ever since. For the last 22
years, Mark has been a head stage technician at ABC-TV.  I started out
working at the Long Beach Center Theatre and then did a lot of Equity
Waiver/99 seat producing and directing.
    Ben was born in 1979 and is now a senior at UC Berkeley studying
Cognitive Science/Linguistics/Artificial Intelligence.
    Alisha was born in 1982 and is a freshman Vocal Jazz Major in the Jazz
Studies Program at the New School University in New York City with a dorm
room in Greenwich Village.
    I was a full-time stay-at-home mom for many years and I loved it. I was
on four game shows! I did a lot of volunteer work in the schools, became a
PTA President and starting working on political campaigns. In 1996, I became
a Field Representative for a State Assemblymember and in 1998, I became a
Deputy to the Los Angeles City Council President, where I still am today. I
just became a Coro Fellow in the Leadership Southern California Program and
will spend the next eight months studying SoCal issues and identifying
problems and solutions.
    So, I've come full circle. Entertainment, Education and Politics seem to
be the three hats I wear. I'm leaving my future open to a variety of options
which may combine the three.
     Life is good and I am very blessed.