Meet Our New Members
These short bios share just a little information about our newest members. So be sure to talk with them to learn more about their various interests and backgrounds
Alicia Cortez
Alicia has an MSW from UC Berkeley and a MA in History from SJSU. She is Dean at DeAnza College and a trustee for Gavilan College. As is a daughter of Mexican immigrants, she appreciates Morgan Hill’s diversity and sense of community. She and her husband have two sons. She has many interests, such as immigration issues, workers’ rights, and women’s leadership development. Personally, she enjoys baking and making homemade jams.
Florencia Djoe
Florencia has Interior Design degrees from Universitas Trisaki, Jakarta, Indonesia, and West Valley College. She has her own design company where she enjoys helping young women through her apprentice program. Her special interests are fundraising, interior design, and education and training. She joined AAUW to help women and girls achieve the best in their lives.
Carol Ferri
Carol attended San Jose State and has a degree in English. She was a teacher in the Morgan Hill Unified School District for 32 years. She works part-time for the American Institute of Mathematics. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, playing tennis, hiking, learning Italian, and playing piano. She joined AAUW to be part of an organization that supports young women’s to be intelligent and compassionate leaders.
Cynthia Iwanaga
Cynthia was a branch member years ago and rejoined at this year’s Wildflower Run. She has a MA in Urban Planning from UCLA and works for the City of Morgan Hill. She and her husband have three sons. She enjoys doing triathlons, traveling, reading, and attempting to learn to knit. She is particularly interested in the work of the branch Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
Julie McKenzie
Julie graduated from San Jose State with a BA in English Lit. She now works full time at a cybersecurity company and also volunteers with Alma Bonita Animal Rescue. Even before joining she had a connection to AAUW: Her daughter received an AAUW scholarship and her son runs in the Wildflower Run. Her interests conclude gardening, reading, hiking, and bike riding.
Sue Olt
Sue majored in French at Cal State San Bernardino and is currently employed part time at Live Oak High School. She has a daughter and son. Sue joined AAUW at the Wildflower Run. She is also a member of the Morgan Hill Historical Society where she is responsible for scheduling docents for the MH House and Museum. She is interested in getting involved with Tech Trek.
Kathy Picchi
Kathy has an M.ED degree from Concordia University in Oregon and is currently working as chair of the mathematics department at Hollister High School. She is trained in classical ballet and played soccer when a student at Santa Clara University. She and her husband have two adult children. She likes to bake, hike and be outdoors, and meet new people.