Frysinger Profiles



Get acquainted with our most recent Frysinger Exchangees:

Our Frysinger Exchangee from Iceland is Helga Gudmundsdottir

Our Frysinger Exchangee from the United States is Claudia Scioly

Helga Gudmundsdottir

At the recently-held annual meeting of the Council of Chairwomen of the Federation of Icelandic Women's Societies (KI), Helga Gudmundsdottir was unanimously elected to represent KI in the USA Woman's National Farm & Garden Frysinger Exchange Program.

Helga lives in Reykjavik, is widowed and has five grown children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Her professional background includes a current position as Church Attendant and Manager of Langholtskirkja Church in Reykjavik, past Managing Director of SPOEX, the Icelandic Organization of Psoriasis and Eczema Patients, and editor of that organization's publication. She worked for three years as a Division Head in the office of the Nursing Director of the National University Hospital in Iceland. With her late husband, a printer by profession, she operated a print-works with duties that included human resources management (10-12 employees), accounting and project bidding.

Among the many voluntary positions she has held over the past 25 years are:

  1. Secretary of the Federation of Icelandic Women's Societies - one year.
  2. Chairman of the federation for almost six years - term ending June 2006.
  3. Chairman of the Church Committee of Asprestakall Church in Reykjavik - six years
  4. Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Women's Societies in Reykjavik (BKI). Chaired the interest Committee of Homemakers, which organized conferences and seminars promoting the interests and rights of homemakers
  5. Worked for six years as a volunteer as the Chairman of the Housewives' Vacation Committee, which organizes trips in Iceland and abroad for housewives, as well as providing tour leaders for these trips
  6. Worked with the Iceland Red Cross on various projects
  7. Represents KI on the board of the Women's History Archive and holds a seat on UNICEF's Board of Representatives in Iceland
  8. Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of the Hallveigarstadir Women's Building, which is owned and operated by the Federation of Icelandic Women's Societies (KI), the Women's Rights Association of Iceland (KRFI) and the BKR. Her term ends in May 2006.

Claudia Scioly

At our fall meeting, Claudia Scioly was selected as the 15th Woman's National Farm & Garden's Grace E. Frysinger Exchangee to Iceland for 2006.

Claudia is President of the Ann Arbor Branch, Michigan, and is currently the Education Focus Coordinator for WNF&GA. She is married to Anthony J. Scioly; they have a daughter who teaches 8th grade English and one grandson. She attended school in Wayne, Michigan and graduated from the University of Iowa.

As a member of the Ann Arbor Branch Claudia has held positions as:

  • Awards Chair, Newsletter Editor, Greens Market Chair, and First Vice President.
  • She was the Working Chair for the 2005 International Tea, which the Ann Arbor Branch hosted.
  • She is the Corresponding Secretary and International Cooperation Chair for the MI Division.

Claudia has an extensive background in business including more than twenty years in the healthcare industry. She was Senior Vice President in a private healthcare consulting business that provided clinical and business consulting to hospitals and which was subsequently acquired by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems. J&J HCS expanded their consulting services to hospitals and medical systems, domestically and internationally. Claudia was the Executive Director, Client Development, until she retired in late 2000.

Claudia completed the 2002 Master Gardener Program with over 200 hours of volunteer work; achieved Advanced Master Gardener Certificate, completing 28 hours of continuing education and over 500 hours of volunteer work in 2003.

Other volunteer activities include:

  • Matthaei Botanical Gardens
  • St. Joseph Hospital Christmas Ball Committee
  • Motor Meals
  • Habitat for Humanity

For two years, Claudia lived and attended school in Rome, Italy, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. She has traveled with family and alone to England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and Puerto Rico. She says she no longer speaks a foreign language, but can read French and Italian.

Researching the history of Farm & Garden, she spent time at the Bentley Library reviewing the Ann Arbor archives; she was impressed with the foresight of Mildred Matthaei, founder of the Ann Arbor Branch, who saw the benefits of forging an alliance with a national organization with international ties. Like Mildred, Claudia is passionate about exposing herself to new ideas and experiences, reaching beyond the local area to international levels.

Claudia is a strong individual: physically, mentally, and emotionally. She is an "excellent communicator, receiving ideas as well as giving them in conversation, and always with grace, intelligence, and consideration for others". During the course of the past several months, Claudia has been in touch with past Frysinger exchangees, researched Iceland, and talked with many members about the program she will develop; she is enthusiastic about promoting all that Farm & Garden has to offer. Claudia will be a truly outstanding representative of our organization.

Past Frysinger Exchanges

1957 Scotland
Mrs. Fred C. McCauley,New York Division
Mrs. Edward Shann, Tarbert Argyll

1960 Norway
Mrs. Philip E. Johnson, Maine Division
Mrs. Frida Borge, Lonevag

1963 The Netherlands
Mrs. Wm. J. Ullenbruch, Michigan Division
Miss H. M. Van Iterson, Leerbrock

1965 Ireland
Mrs Elmer E. Colbert, Capital Division
Mrs. Nora M. Burton, Ballincollig

1968 Australia
Miss Elzabeth L. Renner, New York Division
Mrs. H. M. Hallion, Bumbunga, South Australia

1971 Sri Lanka
Mrs. Jack E. Goodreds, Pennsylvania Division
Mrs. Justin Samarasekera, Colombo, Ceylon

1975 Canada
Mrs. Parker Rockwell, Michigan Division
Mrs. Marion Alexander, Cayley, Alberta

1978 West Germany
Mrs. John Z. Nagel, Michigan Division
Mrs. Irmgard Reichhardt, Hofgut Ringelshausen

1982 Denmark
Mre. C. F. Kirschler, Jr. Pennsylvaniz Division
Mrs. Birthe Clausen, Naestved

1986 New Zealand
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson, New York Division
Mrs. June Haultain, Hamilton

1990 Finland
Miss Jane Bryant, Maine Division
Mrs. Raimo Hyvarinen, Eurajoki

1994 South Africa
Mrs. Webster Anderson, Maine Division
Mrs. Emil Boshoff, Pretoria

1998 Malaysia
Mrs. Neil Engelhart, Michigan Division
Mrs. Dayang Sahadah Bt. Awang Alwi, Sarawak

2003 England
Mrs. John Ehrler, New York Division
Mrs. Ralph Cadzow, Berwick-on-Tweed

2006 Iceland
Claudia Scioly, MI Division
Helga Gudmundsdottir , Reykjavik











image