Ann Church

I was born in the little town of Kingsville, Texas, home of the King Ranch, where my father worked for Celanese Corporation. Both my mom and dad were chemists, but typical of the times, only my father worked. We all moved back to Houston in 1953. But my family arrived in Houston sometime earlier, around the 1880s. During the Civil War, my great-great grandfather, Leonidas, lived in New York City with his uncle Rodney Smith Church. In 1882 he was a clerk for J.R. Morris of Houston, and in 1884 he was a boarder at 1200 Congress in Houston. In 1892 he had a grocery at the corner of Chartres and Maple in Houston. But my family history goes back much further – to the founding of Hartford, CT. My great (too many greats) Richard Church was born in London on February 6, 1610, and died in Hadley, MA, in 1667. He came to the colonies with Rev. Thomas Hooker, who led a group of about 100 settlers. In 1636. they founded the settlement of Hartford, CT, and the Church name is celebrated on the Founding Stone of Hartford.

Growing up in Houston, I was torn between 2 worlds, my grandmother's world of DAR, SAR, Southern Baptist, clubs, and other trappings of 'society' vs. the different real world. I would escape to Sunday church meetings to go to the Black Baptist church because it was so real. I lost my mother to breast cancer when I was just 7. Family life unraveled with my new stepmother, my grandfather's death, and the rest of the family splintering.

I finally found what I was looking for when I started coming to New Mexico at 13. Everything was so exotic! Native Americans on the Plaza, the processions in the street, and just the pure non-conformity of Santa Fe were intoxicating. I remember some guy in buckskin riding a horse around the Plaza. But it took me 33 years to finally jump ship and move here permanently.

While waiting, I co-founded 5 computer stores in Houston that were later sold to Bell Atlantic and worked in computers and real estate finance. As an entrepreneur, I was partnered in real estate software design and sales, maintained IT for doctors and other medical professionals, and was CFO of a private real estate company with over $300M in assets.

Fast forward to current times. In 1996, my daughter and I, Lindsay, moved to Santa Fe. She was seven. I found an incredible community here. Kids could be smart and popular without BMWs and expensive handbags. Three-day hikes in the Pecos Wilderness were typical. Exploring the culture of New Mexico is endless. I am a docent at the School for Advanced Research. I design for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum retail store – for over 14 years. I am a very active AARP volunteer. I dive, I hike, and I love working out.

And founded Villages of Santa Fe in 2016. Now, Villages is a fantastic resource for older adults wanting to stay healthy and active - open to our entire older community in New Mexico and beyond. Villages offers nine classes weekly, plus lifestyle workshops and a library of over 550+ videos, providing programs for older adults 24/7. All instructors are 70+ and understand the issues and challenges associated with exercise as we age.

Consider this - preventing falls can be life-saving for older adults. An aging body means a noninjury in your 40s would be far more severe in your 70s. Preventing falls for more older adults is not an option but a life-saving strategy.

To keep all this running are our fantastic instructors. Maria Francis, Judith Rhodes, Sharon Tolleson, Corinne Hodges, and our newest instructor, kk Taylor. Maria manages scheduling and posting of attendance and videos. She helps everyone get signed up for the proper classes. She enrolls them in our no-cost programs, such as Renew Active with United Healthcare. She is our direct liaison with AARP New Mexico. Behind the scenes are me and Michelle Rothwell.

FYI – AARP only funds ONE online and ONE in-person class. The other Villages classes are funded by your memberships, donations, and grants. We appreciate your support because, without you, there would be no free classes for those unable to afford to pay.

Behind all that, I maintain class schedules, Punchpass, website, memberships, workshops, and newsletters. Other duties are writing the newsletter, planning workshops, sending constant reminders for classes and workshops, filing taxes and corporate reports, writing grants, paying instructors, maintaining insurance, attending meetings, researching grants, meeting with donors and grantors, attending workshops, teaching tech and fall prevention classes, and the list goes on.

With my extensive background in tech, I love teaching tech to our community. Not as some nerdy lecture, but real-life 'how-tos.' Since the start of Villages, we have offered tech training to our community because:

Helps with independence.

Keeps us connected with family and friends.

Keeps us engaged, entertained, and informed.

This fall, I started a series called' Fantastic Things Your Smart Phone Can Do.' Check out the schedule and sign up. And don't forget to "Just Keep Moving."

Ann Church