Our Board of Directors, 2012:
President: Margaretta Simpson
I grew up in Sollentuna, north of Stockholm. I was trained a Medical Technologist and worked at the Department of Tumor Biology at the Karolinska Institute. At the age of 21 I was sent to Nairobi, Kenya to work in cancer research. I remained in Kenya about 14 months and returned to Sweden to re-pack my suitcases and leave for USA. I have lived here almost 43 years now and I worked with cancer research for about 7 years until my first daughter was born 1976. I then had a knitwear company for 17 years with a show room in New York and 3 retail stores in the Boston area and one in Nantucket. After a kidney transplant in 1993 and a few years of ill health I became interested in computers. I was the first webmaster for SWEA Boston and also the first webmaster for SWEA International. I introduced SWEA to electronic newsletters in 2003. From 2006 I was rather inactive in the organization until I returned (with Ginga) 2011 as editor for SWEA-Nytt (the electronic newsletter from SWEA International) and now 2012 as President for SWEA Boston. I live in Marblehead (a small coastal town north of Boston) with my 2 poodles. I became a widow a few years ago and I have 2 grown daughters and 2 grandchildren. I am looking forward to be active in SWEA Boston again!
Vice President: Caroline Collings
I left my home city of Borås on the Swedish west coast at the age of 20 to move to South Carolina. The reason for my move was to pursue my dream to become a commercial pilot. I enrolled in flight school and after graduating I worked as a pilot out of North Carolina. In 1998 I returned to Sweden to enroll in flight school to pursue my Swedish Airline Transport Pilot certificate. I graduated in 1999, but the United States was still appealing to me so for a few years I would travel across the Atlantic frequently. I finally received my Green Card in 2004. I work as a pilot for the Collings Foundation, primarily piloting bomber and fighter aircraft from World War Two. I am married to an American and after our daughter was born in 2009 I have flown less and instead spend most of my time at the Foundation HQ in Stow, MA. Our family, which includes a wire haired Dachshund by the name of Rufus, lives in Sudbury.
I love being a part of SWEA! The organization provides a perfect opportunity to meet interesting, fun, Swedish girlfriends and is a huge asset when you have children and want to hold on to Swedish culture and traditions. I hope to be able to contribute to the program group with exciting events in the future.
Assistant Vice President: Nina Rännefors
I’m from Malmö, where I grew up. We moved to Los Angeles 1986, where my husband worked for the Trade office. Our two girls are born there, -86 and -88. Then the job took us to Chicago where my son was born -91. We moved again and lived in CT before we came here to Boston 1994. We have lived in Wellesley since then. I love to be out with our dogs and my family travel a lot and as soon as we can we try to ski together and then the kids join us from all over the world. One daughter is in Sweden and the other in China and my son are doing his third year in college.
I have been involved in SWEA since we moved from Sweden and it’s wonderful to be part of such a great organization, which during all these year have giving me friends for life and security. I started SWEA in Chicago and I have been president in Boston twice. Now it’s going to be wonderful to be part of the board again and I’m looking forward to give the new president my support.
Secretary: Gittan Lehman
I grew up outside Stockholm and met my American husband the same year I graduated from High School! We got married and moved to Boston, where I have lived for 46 years, the last 23 years in Sudbury. We had children right away, and I felt strongly that they should be able to speak, read and write in Swedish. When they became school age, I started a Swedish School in Boston together with a Swedish friend. The school kept me busy for 10 years, and I met lots of nice Swedish families. When my kids had outgrown the school, I heard about SWEA, and help start SWEA in Boston 1985. Here I met even more Swedish friends, and these SWEA women are my absolutely closest friends in Boston today! I could not survive without them!
After many years on the SWEA Boston board, I took a pause, and started working full time. I am a board certified Cardiac Sonographer and have worked at the Framingham Heart Study since 1990. We do research in heart disease and I feel privileged to be part of such an important research team!
I did not give up my SWEA involvement all together, however, but continued to be active in the Scholarship Committee, the Yuletide Kaffestuga, and the SWEA Choir.
And now I am back on the SWEA Boston board again and look forward to a very interesting and stimulating year with SWEA and all her members!
Treasurer: Inga Vien-Gee
I am from Malmö. I came to Boston for college in 1989 and have been here ever since. I joined SWEA Boston two years ago. Joining SWEA gave me the opportunity to meet new friends and to keep up with my Swedish. Before kids I used to work as a Portfolio Fund Accountant/Auditor for 4 years and Database Administrator for 5 years. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 9 years now. I am eager to pick up bookkeeping responsibility to keep my brain working. The best part of joining SWEA is all the activities and restaurant visits every month. It gives me a chance to enjoy good companies and good foods.
Assistant Treasurer: Ulla Gjörstrup
Membership: Jossan Berg
I am from Vilhelmina, but grew up in a small town called Söderbärke as well. I came to the US in 2004, and the Boston area, as an au pair. I lived in England a couple of years with my American husband after that, before we moved back here. We now live in Groveland with our little son Oliver, who is 2 years old. For several years I have worked in childcare, but now I am a stay home mom. I joined SWEA because I think it is important with the Swedish language and culture for my child now when we live here, but it is lots of fun for me as well! You meet many lovely girls, find help and advice about all sorts of things, you get to do lots of fun stuff, and it’s nice to do Swedish stuff and speak Swedish!
Event Planner: Gunvor Lowe
I grew up in Helsinki, Finland, and came to the U.S. as a surgical nurse 1967. I then attended a two-year program in Worcester to become an anaesthetist and have been working full time at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, since 1975. I have been active in SWEA Boston from its beginning, and served on the board for 6 years, responsible for Membership. At the same time I got very involved in the Christmas Fair, Yuletide, also from its beginning, and was in charge of Kaffestugan, specifically the kitchen, for 25 years.I am retired since one year ago, but continues to take on-calls at the hospital when needed and when I desire. I have an American husband and an adult son. My interests are golf, Pilates, and Mahjongg
Event Planner: Karolina Jenneteg
Event Planner: Anna Sporrong
Event Planner: Karina Granbom
Viktiga medhjälpare:
Deputy Board Member. Coordinator Swedish Yuletide: Ginga Sewerin-Olsson
swedishyuletide@sweaboston.org
PR: Vacant
SWEAbladet Layout / Advertising: Vacant
Webmaster: Helena Holmström
I was born in a small village called Myresjö located in Vetlanda Kommun in Sweden. I started my adventure in the USA in 1999 when I came over as an au pair (through Au Pair in America) and lived in South Natick, MA with my host family. Roughly six months later I met this fantastic guy. When my au pair year was over I went back to Sweden to work as a Home Help and Personal Assistant to people with different types of handicaps. Then I went over to study Marketing Design at Southampton Solent University in Southampton, United Kingdom. Following my graduation I moved over to Boston, MA to work and live with my boyfriend. We later got married in Las Vegas 2005 and had our Swedish ceremony 2006. We have a daughter named Emma (born 2008) and a son namned Tristan (born 2011) in Franklin, MA. I work as an Executive IP Coordinator for a company called Merrimack Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA.
Committees:
- Swedish Yuletide Planning Group: Ginga Sewerin-Olsson (convener).
- Nomination Committee: Maria Manse (convener), Karin Södervall, Annelie Connolly, Inga Gee
- Finance Review: Ilona Ferraro (convener), Åsa Fanelli, Suzanne Frederick
- Investment Committee: Ulla Gjörstrup (convener), Inga Gee, and Tina Adolfsson
- Scholarship Committee: Beata Schmid (convener), Maud Brocoum, Gittan Lehman, Gunvor Lowe, Birgitta Knuttgen, Lena Sölvell, Anita White, Maria Manse, Margaretta Simpson (ex officio)
