President’s Message

Let’s get to know our new president.

Hello Newcomer Friends,

I am Linda Jenkins. I was born into an Italian and Polish family. My father served in the US Army and was awarded multiple medals for his bravery shown at Normandy and other notable WWII conflicts. I am very proud of my heritage.

My birth location was New Jersey. I only lived there for one year and then our family moved to Virginia for seven years. I have fond memories of the blooming cherry blossoms and the monuments in Washington D.C.

At the age of eight, we moved to Nashua, New Hampshire. A couple of my favorite childhood memories are going to Girl Scout camp and spending time on Lake Winnipesaukee boating and water skiing.

When I met my husband of 45 years, we moved one town over to Merrimack, New Hampshire. As a side note, my husband and I knew each other for only six months before we married. My husband is the oldest of seven boys. If you ever have an opportunity, ask Bud to tell you some of his funny childhood stories with all those brothers! Bud and I are blessed with two children, a son, daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. My family is my joy!

Fun facts to share. I come from a family where we use endearing nicknames. I have been known as Winnie, Linnie, Lynn, Gimba, Sporty Spice, Foo, Foodle Doodle or Linnie Foo Foo. That said, I have nicknames for my family members; however, they would not appreciate me sharing them.

While raising a young family and working full-time, I earned an undergraduate degree in finance, a master’s degree in business administration and a post-graduate certificate in Human Resource Management. Throughout my career I held two jobs. I worked for thirty years as an HR professional with one position as an HR Director for a global organization. I also taught graduate school for 27 years. As an instructor, I was honored by the university by being asked to partner with a full-time professor and administrator to design the first online course for the university.

My husband and I moved to SoCal eleven years ago after moving around New England through the states of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Moving from New England was easy and difficult at the same time. Easy because I hate cold weather and difficult leaving friends of 40+ years.

Living in an area and not knowing anyone was challenging. At first, I would walk around the grocery store and mumble to myself, “Will you be my friend?” This continued until I remembered my mother’s wonderful experiences when joining the Newcomers Club in Florida.
The rest is history. The Newcomers and Friends of Santa Clarita opened a world of fun times, dear friendships, and cherished memories for me.

To close, I am a cat lover. I enjoy spending time with family, golfing, exercising, watching movies, and most of all playing Mah Jongg and Bunco with my Newcomer friends!

2023-24 NC&F Proposed Board