Here we will explain all about our Executive because without them we are nothing.

Names and Details about Executives

Sally Silvers, President

Sally is a professor emeritus who teaches classes in custom clothing with humor and style. One of her specialties is finding faster methods of construction and finishes that also produce better results. Sally has served as the Region 7 Regional Representative for PACC and is Vice President for the Wearable Art Connection of Southern California.

Laura Johansen, Secretary

Laura resides in Denver, North Carolina and graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Design. She started her business in 1979 and specializes in custom sewing and alterations for bridal. She attended Susan Khalje’s Bridal Sewing School in 1993. Laura joined PACC in 1994 and has served PACC National as the Regional Representative for Region 2 and was a member of the Nominating Committee in 2004. A founding member of the Greater Asheville Area Chapter, she has served on it’s board as the secretary/treasurer for four years.

Tina Colombo, Treasurer, President Elect

Tina has been creating bridal gowns since February 1997, when she opened her custom sewing business, Treasures by Tina. She joined PACC in 1997, and has served as Advertising Manager for the PACC newsletter since 2002. Tina’s mother taught her to sew, and she began making most of her own clothes while still in junior high school. Her own bridal gown in 1980 was the first of many to come, but of course she didn’t know that at the time! Tina was a legal secretary in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, before she and her husband John returned home to central Illinois. A few months after opening her business, Tina attended Level I of Susan Khalje’s Couture Sewing School. She immediately realized that this was the kind of sewing she wanted to do for her clients, and she began to focus her business solely on bridal and special occasion garments. Her continuing education also includes Level II of the Couture Sewing School, couture classes with Claire Shaeffer, PACC conference master classes and seminars, and numerous local classes on a wide variety of sewing and fitting topics. Tina holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois. She and her husband John have two sons, and she continues to be a very active volunteer at their schools.

Karen Ahrens, Vice President of Chapter Relations

Karen received her Registered Nurse degree in 1969 from Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing in Omaha, Nebraska. Retired today, her interest in sewing started at age four when she began sewing doll clothes. A 4-H leader for many years, she has judged at County, District, and State competitions as well as the Make it With Wool Contest. She has taught classes at two fabric stores and for the area Technical Community College and continues to take classes to hone her skills. Karen began her sewing business in 1990 specializing in bridal, special occasion, custom, alterations and home decor and subsequently joined PACC in 1994. A founding member of the Great Plains Chapter, (formerly the Omaha Chapter), she has been the Chapter President since 1999. She has also been the Chapter Secretary and the Chapter 2nd Vice President/Newsletter Editor. On the National level, she has served as the Chapter National Representative. Karen resides in Omaha, Nebraska and is married with four daughters.

Terry Jeppsen, Vice President of Member Relations

Terry Jeppsen graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS degree in Clothing and Textiles. She has taught classes at the Intermountain SewingConference, previously held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and the Stitching Corner in West Jordan, Utah. She was introduced to PACC while attending Susan Khalje’s, “Bridal Couture” school and joined in 2002. Terry says, “PACC has been a wonderful organization to help me develop my sewing and business skills. I look forward to serving in PACC.” Terry has been married to a wonderful and supportive husband for 26 years, has three daughters, and two grandsons. Life is great!

Marijo Rymer, Vice President of Public Relations

Marijo Rymer has been a public relations and fund raising leader for more than 30 years serving a US Senator, the mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico; school districts in NM, WA and NV as well as a multi-billion dollar national medical corporation. She has developed custom educational programs in media relations, crisis communication management and government affairs for educational, non-profit and corporate organizations and has published dozens of articles and position papers for professional journals. She has been an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America for 17 years. She began sewing for herself and others when she was 12 and began her first part-time sewing business in 1972. In her current business, MjR Extraordinary Stitches, she specializes in bridal and special occasion garments, children’s clothing, and career wear. She joined the Colorado chapter of PACC in 1999 and has served as secretary and sewing retreat coordinator. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. Marijo is the proud mother of three daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson.

Linda Stewart, Interim Vice President of Education

Linda is a native of West Virginia, but has called Bristol, Virginia home for the past eighteen years. For ten years, her business focused on altering ladies’ career, bridal and formal wear. In 1993 she joined PACC and gradually reorganized her business. She now specializes in the design and construction of one-of-a-kind bridal and eveningwear. She has taught classes in textiles and fabrics at the high school level and “Alterations for the Professional” at the local community college. Linda has written articles for the PACC newsletter as well as Round Bobbin, a trade magazine for the sewing industry. She has also served PACC by organizing the National Conference Fashion Shows in 2000 and 2001 and has previously served as Advertising Manager for the newsletter.

Colleen Jenson, Executive Director

Since October of 2001, Colleen Jenson has been principal and owner of Executive Creative Resources (ECR), a full service public relations firm specializing in event management, tradeshows, graphic arts and media relations. Prior to development of ECR, she was a corporate communication specialist for a large national corporation, American Medical Response, where her responsibilities included budget management, national media relations, conference and tradeshow management, negotiation of vendor and sponsor contracts, website management and publication development. Her professional background also includes payroll management, customer service representation, inventory control and property management. Colleen attended Victor Valley Junior College and numerous professional public relations education and computer training programs. She has expertise in numerous word processing, database, bookkeeping and graphics computer programs. She has held membership in the Public Relations Society of America and National Association of Female Executives. Colleen and her husband, Dan, live in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

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