Contact us2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Junior League of Baltimore’s Board of Directors is comprised of eleven volunteer members of the Junior League of Baltimore. All members are nominated for a one–year committee placement on the Board by the Nominating & Placement Committee and voted in by general membership.
Of the 11 seats on the Board of Directors, the organization strives to maintain a good proportion of women who have served on the organization’s Board in the previous year, have served on the Board in the past, and are serving on the Board for the first time for the Junior League of Baltimore. This proportion meets the organization’s mission of providing training opportunities for our membership, while maintaining an experienced Board of Directors. The Board of Directors govern a council and committee system comprised of active volunteers, and sets policy and action for the organization based on a careful balance of community needs and organizational welfare.
President / Mary Helfrich
Mary is a Baltimore native who has been a member of the Junior League of Baltimore since 1987. She chaired various committees, such as Membership, Public Relations, Junior League Delegates to Annapolis, Website Ad Hoc and was twice the editor of the Junior League of Baltimore’s newsletter, Communiqué. She has served on the Board of Directors three times as Vice –President of Communications, Marketing and Membership. She will serve a fourth time this year as President-Elect. In her professional career, Mary is a Development, Capital Campaign and Communications executive for area non-profit organizations, churches and schools. She has directed fundraising initiatives and capital campaigns that have raised over $20 million. Her current projects include fundraising and communications for animal welfare, religious, higher education and human service organizations. Mary has a Master’s Degree in Non-profit Management from the College of Notre Dame.
President Elect / Sylvia Strobel
Sylvia joined the Junior League of St. Paul in 2003, and transferred to the Junior League of Lancaster in 2005. There she served as VP of Communications and Chair of Project Development. After transferring to Baltimore in 2010, she held the position of Chair of Fund Development and VP/Finance. She has previous volunteer experience on the boards of the Alliance for Women in Media, Twin Cities Public Television, the Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund, Perpich Center for Arts Education and the PA Abe Lincoln Bi-Centennial Commission. Sylvia has over twenty years of non-profit management experience, worked as an attorney with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Twin Cities Public TV, and as President/GM of the PA Public TV Network. She is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Media and a VP for association management firm Coulter Companies (Washington DC) and a partner and founder of in the law firm Lehmann Strobel PLC. Sylvia holds a BA in Biology from St. Olaf College, a JD from William Mitchell College of Law, and a MBA from the University of Minnesota. Sylvia resides with her husband, Walter Lehmann, and two children in Stevenson.
Membership Vice President / Eleanor Landauer
Eleanor joined the Junior League of Baltimore in 1993 and has subsequently also been a member of the Junior Leagues of Westchester on Hudson, NY and Oakland-East Bay, CA. She returned to the Junior League of Baltimore in 2008 after several years hiatus. Eleanor has served on the Membership Committee of the JLB and the Ways & Means, Community Research, and Program Development committees in her other Leagues. Eleanor is in her second term as a Member of the Hood College Board of Associates where she is Chair of the Leadership Gift Committee. She is also a director of the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation and the immediate past Board Chair of One House at a Time in Baltimore. Eleanor has over fifteen years experience in not-for-profit development and fundraising. She is currently the Director of Major and Planned Gifts at Friends School of Baltimore and resides in the Guilford neighborhood of Baltimore City.
Communications Vice President / Amanda Martorana
Amanda joined the Junior League of Baltimore in 2010. During her provisional year, Amanda served simultaneously on both the Done in a Day and the Public Relations and Marketing Committees. Once active, Amanda served on the Membership Committee and chaired the Public Relations and Marketing Committee. Amanda has worked in the not-for-profit field for over 7 years and is the Marketing and Communications Director for Glenelg Country School in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Finance Vice President / Stacy Baran
Community Impact Vice President / Karyn Riley
Karyn Riley joined the Junior League of Baltimore in 2011, and before becoming the Vice President of Community Impact, served on the Wise Penny Internship committee where she was instrumental in developing its strategic and operational plans. Guided by the belief of “giving back”, Karyn is heavily invested in her adopted hometown of Baltimore. In addition to her activity in the Junior League, Karyn serves as a board member for: Community Law in Action; the Eubie Blake Cultural Center; and Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates. She is also a member of the advisory boards for the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Community Panel for African Art, as well as the Maryland Women’s Health Care Reform Coalition.
In her day job, Karyn is the director of public affairs for Visit Baltimore, the city’s tourism agency. A member of both the executive and leadership committees, she oversees legislative initiatives, corporate communications, community relations and serves as in-house counsel. Karyn’s diverse professional background includes positions in law, communications and education. She holds a B.A. in English from Hampton University, a J.D. from Syracuse University and has recently completed a highly competitive executive leadership program with the National Urban Fellows – America’s Leaders of Change. A native Marylander, Karyn currently resides in the Woodberry neighborhood of Baltimore City.
Treasurer / Liz Cardona
Liz moved to Baltimore in 2008 and joined the Junior League of Baltimore in 2009. During her Provisional year she helped plan the Govans Elementary School's Winter Festival. As an active member, she served on the Family Wellness Committee and the Centennial Committee, which organized the Junior League of Baltimore's 100th Anniversary Celebration. Liz is an attorney in Columbia and resides in Silver Spring.
Secretary / Diana Wang
Diana joined the Junior League of Baltimore in the fall of 2011. Since joining, she has served on the Fund Development Committee. Her recent volunteering activities include serving on the board of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Maryland and providing pro bono legal assistance through the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Professionally, Diana is an attorney with McGuireWoods LLP. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from American University. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Baltimore in the fall of 2009 and currently resides downtown.
Parliamentarian / Julia Randolph
Julia joined the Junior League of Baltimore in 2002. Having served on various committees, she joined the leadership team as Nominating and Placement Chair, sitting on the Board of Directors for the 2010-2011 League year. For 2012-2013, she is serving as parliamentarian. Julia also currently serves on the boards of Grace United Methodist Preschool, Roland Park Country School, Samuel Ready Scholarships, and formally The Feather Foundation. She lives in Roland Park with her husband and three children.
Sustainer Director / Missi Bowman
Missi is a life-long resident of Baltimore. She's a graduate of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA, class of 1989, with a degree in Sociology. She worked in the family business, Bowman Financial Management, for 20 years. She has prior board experience having served as an alumnae member of her college board, an alumnae board member of Roland Park Country School, and on the the Hampden Family Center board. She resides with her mother and two dogs and loves spending time with her niece.
Nominating Chair / Deborah Hollick
