The Newcomers’ Club 2026 Election is here! This year, the Club is once again offering both online voting and in-person voting.

Voting Instructions

Each member should vote a separate ballot.

The open positions are two Officer positions and two Board positions. Voters should mark all candidates for whom they want to vote. 

The first day of online voting is Friday, March 27, 2026, and the last day is Monday, April 6, 2026. All online votes need to be submitted by April 6, 2026.

Click here to access the online 2026 Election Ballot and Vote.

Fill out the ballot and click on the Send button.

If you are unable to vote online or you prefer to vote in person, paper 2026 Election Ballots for in-person voting will be available at the April 7, 2026 Monthly Luncheon held at The Big Elk Restaurant.

If you have any questions, contact Tom Peet, Newcomers’ Club President and Nominating Committee Chair, at president@olympicnewcomers.org.

Slate of Candidates

Board Vice President

Bob Brown was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He earned a BS In Wildlife Management at UW Steven’s Point and an MA from Central Michigan University in Industrial Management.  Bob served in the Air Force for 25 years. He was a navigator in KC135s, refueling other aircraft in the air. When he wasn’t flying, he worked in headquarters command centers in Europe and at The Pentagon as a crisis manager.  He served on the Joint Staff for the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff and also commanded a squadron that managed large military deployments. After Bob retired from the Air Force, he worked for Johnson and Johnson managing production and engineering of pharmaceutical products. His interests and hobbies include sailing, boating, E-Biking, and canoeing. He also collects and modifies wristwatches.  Bob has been in Newcomers’ for 15 years and has served on the Board in the past. 

Board Secretary

Denise G. Thomson: I was born and raised in Ohio until my family moved to Orange County in Southern California when I was in the ninth grade. I earned my B.S. and M.S. degrees in Speech and Audiology at California State University, Fullerton, and later at California State University, Humboldt. While living in Humboldt County, I met my future husband, Glen Thomson. On December 18, 2026, we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary!! Following a move to Ukiah, California, and the birth of our oldest daughter, I began working with local elementary and middle schools, providing Speech and Language therapy. When a position opened with the Konocti Girl Scout Council, I began a 15-year professional career with the Girl Scouts. After moving to Sacramento, I was hired by the Del Oro Girl Scout Council as their Outdoor Program and Properties Director, a position that included managing nine council properties. After leaving Girl Scouts, I spent two years working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the Sacramento International Airport—a fascinating experience! I came full circle when I returned to education as the Project Coordinator for the School Readiness Birth-to-Five Initiative with the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. It was a dream job! I built the program from the ground up and served as its administrator for 11 years. My work focused on outreach to low-income and immigrant families. I have volunteerism in my heart and continue to volunteer with the American Camp Association in their accreditation program (35 years), Olympic Theater Arts, Field Arts & Events Hall, Sweet Adelines Region 13, and my Sweet Adeline chorus, A Cappella Joy. I also sing with Grand Olympics Chorus. After building our home in Sequim in 2010, we moved here full-time in 2016. We love the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Clallam County, and Sequim and value the many friendships we have made. The Olympic Newcomers’ Club was the first group we joined, and now I am excited for the opportunity to give back to the Club and its members.

Board Member

Pat Nachreiner: I was born Patricia Kathleen Willson, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Note the unusual double “L” in Willson. Willson says, “There’s one ‘L’ of a difference” when people ask why the double “L” is used. If we meet a single “L” Wilson”, we ask, “Who kicked the ‘L’ out of you?” I was raised through high school in Canada and a short stint in England. As a Navy brat and Seagull family (we followed father to all duty stations), we moved every three years or so, usually from coast to coast as my father was a line officer (Captain of several ships). After high school, in 1965, I read about a satellite college in Glendale, California that only cost $13.00 a semester. Of course that is where I became an immigrant and started college. I met my husband, Dale, in 1967. We married in 1970. Dale was also career Navy, so I was once again a Seagull. I took any job I could get and earned a Bachelor of Elementary Education, Master of Higher Education, and Bachelor of Asian Studies/Japanese Language and Culture. I taught K-College for 20 years and was a WA State Social Worker for 14 years. I am an eternal student, love to read, learn, be around children, travel, explore, and meet new people. Whenever possible, I volunteer at Feiro Marine Life Center and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. We have three children and eight grandchildren. We are a very happy, blessed, diverse family. We have one homemade son and two ready-made daughters (Korean and Japanese). The girls are both American now, but one son-in-law is Ugandan. He and I are both “legal aliens” and carry permanent resident (green) cards. Our grandchildren are all different sizes, shapes, and colors. We are very blessed and have so much to be thankful for. I first heard of the Newcomers’ Club many years ago in Canada. Since we were so often newcomers ourselves, we were visited by locals who offered us friendship and a lot of information about our new residence.  Now, it is great to be a long-time resident welcoming and introducing newcomers to our beautiful Clallam County.

Board Member

Lani Butcher Smith, incumbent, was born and raised in western New York State, married in Key West, FL, lived most of her adult life in San Diego, CA, and moved with her husband, Gary, to Port Angeles, WA in 2013. Her sister once asked her why she keeps moving to lands end. Having seen the four corners of the continental USA, she’s found her home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her corporate careers, lasting 25 years, were as a manager and trainer at Pacific Telephone and as a manager and technical writer at Xerox. She found her best career last, as a dog trainer, where for 13 years, she taught basic and advanced obedience classes, conducted private lessons, and was a certified evaluator for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Program. She was a regular volunteer at a local animal shelter, where she worked with dogs who were waiting for adoption. She enjoys reading, especially mysteries, volunteering, and living in this beautiful area with Gary and her two cats, Petal and Sprout.

If you have questions about the 2026 Election, send an email to our President, Tom Peet.