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Our Board of Directors

Geri Cooperman

Geri Cooperman moved to Stonegate in 1969, where she and Richard raised three children. Over the years, she has been active in the Stonegate Citizens Association, serving as a block captain, member of the neighborhood directory committee, and SCA membership chairperson. Geri worked as an organizational psychologist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she was Director of the Employee Assistance Program and the Work Life Programs for HHS employees in Washington, D.C. She later served as Director of the Business Transformation Team on a very large Departmental financial management project. After retiring, she became aware of the Village movement and realized there was a need for one in Stonegate. She is very gratified to be part of this important organization, which is helping our older residents meet new people and forge relationships to help us age in place.

John Jeffery

John and his wife Lyn, moved to the Stonegate neighborhood in 2015 from Madison, Wisconsin. They had been active in many local and regional volunteer organizations including Community Support Network, a non-profit providing support and work opportunities for physically, emotionally and mentally challenged adults; Middleton Soccer Club; and the Fulton Chain of Lakes Association, an environmental-centric non-profit focusing on the protection of the ecology of the watersheds of several Adirondack Park lakes in New York. John and Lyn have also been very active in foster care, having had over 36 children in their home in Middleton, WI over 30 years. They are proud parents of three adult children and five grandchildren. Relatively new to the area but near their grandchildren, the Stonegate community has been an incredibly welcoming neighborhood. The Greater Stonegate Village allows them an opportunity to learn more about and give back.

Robert (Bob) Ramsey

Bob Ramsey and his family have lived in Stonegate for 27 years. He has served on the boards of the Naples Homeowners Association and of the Stonegate Citizens Association. He joined the Greater Stonegate Village for the opportunity to meet more neighbors and make new friends. He is a retired Army physician.

Linda Smith

One of Linda's first memories of Stonegate Drive is planting daffodils in the woods in preparation for building her contemporary home there (and getting a bad case of poison ivy because she didn't wear gloves!) She and, her late husband, Gene became residents in 1973. With the help of the Greater Stonegate Village, Linda plans to age in place here for the indefinite future. Linda taught English at High Point High School before becoming its first magnet school coordinator. After her retirement as an educator, she became the Executive Director of the Mead Family Foundation, which funded programs for children, families, and the arts in the District and Montgomery County. Thanks to appearing in over two dozen community theater productions, Linda has been a queen (Eleanor, Lion in Winter), a President's wife (Abigail Adams, 1776), a psychic (Helga, Death Trap), charmingly eccentric (Mame) and cannily insane (Ethel, Curious Savage).

Richard Cooperman

Richard is a graduate electrical engineer with degrees from CCNY and George Washington University. He has extensive experience as a senior manager and executive in the satellite industry at Johns Hopkins University, COMSAT, Sirius Radio and Gannett. Richard founded and managed several start-up ventures. For the past thirty years he has owned and managed an independent consulting firm focused on mobile satellite communications. During this time, he contributed to the development of GPS, wideband satellite communications, satellite radio and satellite phones. Additionally, he has a strong background in planning, project management and contracting.

Irene Ritzmann

Irene Ritzmann and her husband Larry raised their three children in the Stonegate community. They have lived in their current home for 37 years. She is a retired budget analyst for the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, an Agency of HHS. Since retiring, Irene spends her time reading, quilting and visiting her three grandchildren. She joined the walking group 2 years ago and enjoys how the group fosters a sense of community and healthy living.

Harold Kessler

Harold, his wife Judy, their three kids, and cat moved from St. Louis into their Stonegate house in December 1970. It was a very different place then (no trees) and the Stonegate School would not open until the 1971 school year. All three of their children ultimately were Stonegate kids, and one year Harold was the PTA President. He also held the same office at Argyle Middle School. Harold is a 42 year-Federal employee with agencies that administered labor relations programs. After retirement, he has been a volunteer mediator/arbitrator in the Montgomery County Courts, the Better Business Bureau, and the DC Bar.

Sue Winakur

Sue Winakur and her family moved to Stonegate over forty years ago. Sue’s wonderful husband, Ira, passed away in 2007. Her sons, Eric and Mark, are married. Sue has three fantastic grandchildren, and she always looks forward to being with them, in-person or virtually.

Sue has served Greater Stonegate Village since its inception as a board member and volunteer. She was the first chairperson of the Volunteer Management Committee, and she recruited and trained many volunteers. Sue volunteers for JSSA Hospice, and she volunteered for Junior Achievement teaching middle school students about succeeding in the global economy.

She had been a registered nurse before graduating with a BS in finance from the University of Maryland. She earned her MBA from Johns Hopkins and was awarded a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Sue worked in the finance industry, and she retired after a 20-year career with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as a securities regulator.