Founder 

Margaret (Marge) Pruitt Clark, PhD

Marge Clark, the first President of the Eve's Place has had an eclectic career. After receiving her PhD in sociology she taught at several universities in the Washington D.C. area before moving to Brunswick, ME and teaching at Bowdoin College. After she left academia, she worked as a divorce mediator and a volunteer lobbyist. She was elected to three terms in the Maine House of Representatives, serving on the Human Resources Committee.

While in the House, she worked as the Executive Director for the Adolescent Pregnancy Coalition. In 1992 she became the CEO of Advocates for Youth, a Washington D.C. based advocacy organization. Since moving to Arizona, she has worked as a realtor for Ken Meade Realty.

Marge has a long history of working for women. She was Maine state coordinator and national "small state" coordinator for the National Organization for Women, and has served on the boards of the Family Planning Association, the Maine Women's Fund, and at the Arlington (VA) Home for Recovering Women. She is one of the contributors to the "Woman's Watch" column that appears monthly in the Daily News Sun. 
 

Board of Directors

Velda K. King - President 

Ms. King is an experienced Publishing and marketing executive with a background in accounting and finance. She is the owner and C.E.O. of Publishers Management Corp., a niche marketing and publishing company, and also the president of Double K Publishing Inc., a marketing company specializing in investment companies. She is also on the Board of Directors for several other Corporations.

Ms. King is married to Ron King, who is also very active in Eve's Place. She has two sons and four grandchildren. 

Dorothea Boothe - Vice-President

Dorothea Boothe is a seasoned printing/public affairs specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.   She serves as a key media relations liaison and buyer of printed materials, including high profile brochures, maps and promotional products.   Dorothea brings a wealth of communications experience and special events planning to the board.

Previously, Dorothea served on the boards of the Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona and Valley Youth Theatre.   She is also a member of the Black Board of Directors Project, an advanced leadership program in Phoenix, Ariz.

A native Washingtonian (DC), Dorothea relocated to Arizona in 1992, and hasn't looked back.   She is married with one child.   She enjoys theatre, writing, community service and family vacations.

 Mary Lou Stevens - Treasurer

Mary Lou Stevens is the President of Perpetual Marketing, Inc., which specializes in promotional products. Perpetual Marketing, Inc. is a Certified Woman Owned Business, Small Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise through the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County.   It is also a member of the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and the Buckeye Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Board of Directors for the Buckeye Chamber for 2 years as Secretary of the Board.

Mary Lou is a member of the Board of Directors for Sun Valley Lodge in Sun City, Arizona, a member of the Business & Professional Women's Group for the past 7   years, holding offices of President in 2002, Program Chairman, and currently is Vice President for 2005/2006.   She is former President of the White Tanks Rotary Club and is also a Licensed Distributor of the Rotary International products through her business.    She is also a member of Human Service Professionals West, a member of the West Valley Business Connections networking group, a member of E-Women Network, and she is a member of the Dynamite Dolls Red Hat Society in Sun City, Arizona.

The Reverend Barbara Bengtson Associate Pastor - Lord of Life Lutheran Church - Secretary

Rev. Barbara A. Bengtson is a graduate of Arizona State University and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.  She earned her Masters in Divinity degree in 1993 and has served as a pastor for the past 14 years.  She is currently Associate Pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West where she has served since 1997 with an emphasis on care ministries.

Prior to her seminary education, Rev. Bengtson worked at Good Samaritan Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the pediatric residency training program for 16 years.  She is a native of Fargo, North Dakota and has lived in Arizona since the age of 13.  She was on the Board of Directors of a Safe House in Safford, Arizona in its early stages and is committed to raising awareness about the tragedy of domestic violence through her work on the Board of Directors of Eve’s Place.

Herme Sherry - Board Member

Herme grew up the oldest of 7 children, in a small town in the central valley of California. Married to Ken, her high school sweetheart, she has 3 children, 6 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and 6 surrogate grandchildren. Living in California for most of her life, she moved to Arizona in 1986 from Sacramento.

She was crowned "Ms. Senior Arizona" in February 2004, and with the help of the Ms. Senior Arizona Organization, she organized and chaired the first Annual Alzheimer’s Black Tie "Cameo Ball" in January 2005. She continues to serve as Co-Chairman of the Annual Alzheimer’s Ball.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Cameo Foundation. She is the Ms. Senior Arizona Pageant Media Director as well as the Media Director for the Ms. Senior Arizona Follies Variety Shows, and for the Arizona Cameo Club. She serves on the Alzheimer’s Central Arizona Region Development Committee and annually logs approximately 2000 hours of volunteer work for the Alzheimer’ Association Desert Southwest Chapter.

She currently spends many hours performing with the Arizona Cameo Club “Ladies of Elegance” in Assisted Living and Care Homes, hospitals, and various community organizations.

Leatha Martin - Board Member

Leatha Martin is a native of California. She moved to Arizona with her daughter in 1995 and the very next day met Steve her husband!  Leatha went to work as a yoga instructor and massage therapist at various locations in the valley until 1998 when Steve's job took them overseas to Saudi Arabia where they lived for three years.  In April 2003 Leatha opened the Cimarron Day Spa which is located in Sun City Grand. Leatha's is very active in Soroptimist International, Valley of the Sun and the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she has served on many committees including the annual Spring Fundraiser, the ADA committee, POWER Women in Business and chairing the Safety Committee. Leatha has one daughter and and two grandchildren and she enjoys dancing, traveling, reading and painting but most of all her grandchildren.

Myra Roper - Board Member 

Myra Roper of Glendale is a Senior United States Probation Officer.  Myra is single and looking at retiring in a few years so is looking forward to having even more time to devote to our cause at that time.  She has participated in many of our fund raisers and has been a supporter for several years.Myra graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and got her MA from Fordham University in New York. She is currently the district representative of the FPPOA and a member of several other professional organizations.  She is fun and I am sure you will all love getting to know her.

Stephanie Goodin - Board Member

Stephanie Goodin of Peoria and is the Marketing Manager at Desert Sky Mall for Westcor/The Macerich Company of Phoenix.  She has worked in the past with Eve’s Place through community efforts and donations with Westcor/Desert Sky Mall.  They also furnished over 400 candles for our outreach program and the women in our house at Christmas time. Stephanie has volunteered with many other organizations such as Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Phx Children’s Hospital, and Phoenix Rescue Mission just to name a few.Stephanie graduated form Arizona State University in Tempe.  She is the Site Council Member for the Holiday Park Elementary.  She brings her marketing and special events experience and we are delighted to have her.  She is married and has one daughter. We feel honored to have her and her experience

Mary Jo Salone - Board Member

Mary Jo Salone from Goodyear is an Attorney with over 30 years experience.  She has worked in many area of law including domestic relations and now is doing estate planning.  Mary Jo is well diversified as she has been everything from a bank teller to a high school teacher, computer programmer and of course an Attorney.Mary Jo is single and is looking for an organization that she can share her knowledge and experience.  She is fun with good common sense and loves people and wants to make a difference.  Mary Jo is fun and will bring a balance to our Board in many ways.  We are very fortunate that she has chosen us to be a part of.