VALPARAISO | Valparaiso Parks Foundation board elected board members and added members to the board at its January meeting. Members unanimously voted to re-elect Martin Sonnenberg, of Task Force Tips, as board president.
Sonnenberg is executive vice president of Task Force Tips Inc., a leading firefighting equipment company based in Valpo. He has been a board member since 2008 and has served as treasurer and on various committees. He has been a Valparaiso resident since he arrived at Valparaiso University in 1987, graduating in 1991 with a degree in accounting.
Jeffrey Lewis, principal at Design Organization, Inc., a division of Shive-Hattery, and team leader of their Chicago office, was elected vice president. He has previously been a member of the Parks Foundation board from 2004 to 2011.
During his one-year hiatus, Lewis continued to stay active on committees and supporting foundation causes and events. Lewis grew up in DeMotte and has been a Valparaiso resident since 1998, serving in many community service and faith-based capacities.
Mark Ritzi, of Horizon Bank, was re-elected the Parks Foundation treasurer. Ritzi has been in Northwest Indiana for more than 20 years as an experienced mortgage lender. He is also very involved in many professional and service-based organizations including the Northwest Indiana Builders Association, Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors, YMCA, Junior Achievement and St. Paul Church, as well as a volunteer coach for his children’s extracurricular activities.
In addition to electing officers and welcoming Lewis back to the board, the Parks Foundation board nominated four new board members. Kaye Frataccia is a retired Spanish teacher of more than 20 years in the Valpo Community Schools system. Diane Tiemann serves as Computer Services, Inc. regional vice president of customer service. Lakeside Wealth Management’s Timothy VerShure, a financial adviser, and Jamie Sulcer, business development specialist with Chicago Title, have also joined the board of the Parks Foundation.
The Valparaiso Parks Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides opportunities for the community to support the continuing legacy of high quality experiences provided by city parks. For information on how to get involved call the office at (219) 462-5144.
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