2027 Board Candidates
PRESIDENT – Rhonda Walsh
Being considered for President of the Elk Grove Historical Society was not on my radar, but after some thought, it truly would be an honor and a position that I feel I could serve well. The brief biography list below will help members of the committee learn of my ties to the Elk Grove community along with other experiences of my life that would make me a valuable member of this organization.
* Elk Grove resident from the age of 9 having attended Sierra-Enterprise, Joseph Kerr, and Elk Grove High
* A Junior Historian under Mrs. Pinkerton and Carl Amundsen, helping with the preservation of the Rhoads School in the late ’70’s
* A recent board member for the HOA community I currently live in
* Retired teacher of 34 years, teaching K-8th graders in three states, including working at James McKee for my first 10 years
* Committee member/leader for various events over my 34 years teaching
* Co-Founder of a successful non-profit teen musical theatre in Oregon from ’05 -’15 (still going strong today – TMTO at Craterian Theatre)
* Docent at Rhoads School – starting my second year this month
* Committee member of the Rhoads School 50 years in the Park Celebration
* Created Living History field trips and over night experiential learning opportunities for youth related to the Donner Party, Wagon Trains, Gold Mining in CA, and more for public school students and home schoolers
* Currently helping to grow the Historic Days at Mahon Ranch for 2027 and beyond
By being a member of the board, I hope to aid the EGHS’s continued success and help build it’s connection to the youth of our community into the future.
First Vice President – Jalynne Callori
“I was born in Sacramento, California and moved with my family to Elk Grove in 1965. I graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1970, married in 1973, and moved with my husband to Sacramento. I started a job with the State of California while I was attending California State University, Sacramento and in 1983, graduated with a BS in Business Administration/Marketing. My husband accepted a bank manager position in Modesto, and we moved to Elk Grove, which was a reasonable commute. Our son, Dominic was born in 1980, and our son Dain was born in 1986. By then, we had grown to love Elk Grove and wanted our sons to attend local schools and take part in local sports organizations. I retired in 2013 as a career executive manager, after a 30+year career with the California Department of Health Care Services, and my husband retired from his banking career in 2014. We then began our secondcareers: caring for our three grandchildren while their parents are working. It has been a privilege being with them and supporting their educational, athletic, and artistic endeavors. We also enjoy local RV trips and an annual trip to Maui, Hawaii. I joined the Elk Grove Historical Society in 2023 and trained to be a docent. It’s been fascinating learning about the history of the area and sharing it with the community. I am honored to work with a knowledgeable and committed group who are enthusiastic about collecting and preserving historical documents, buildings, and artifacts from the Elk Grove area. Thank you for welcoming me to your organization.”
SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT – Peggy Forseth-Andrews
Peggy has been involved in the Historical Society for many years, as president in 1989-1991, and is now a lifetime member. She has lived in the Elk Grove area for over 40 years and has always been interested in history and its importance to the quality of our lives. Her late husband Steve Andrews’s mother was a Schafer whose family arrived in the area in 1917. Right after the end of WWII Steve’s parents Jim & Ruth Andrews opened Elk Grove Variety ( The 5 & dime as many called it.) Upon her arrival to Elk Grove she became involved in the Historic Preservation of Old Town most notably assisting in the writing and testifying in the designation of it becoming a recognized Historic District. she was one of the original 5 committee members that assisted in saving the Elk Grove Grammar School which now houses the CCSD. She wrote and had approved the building’s designation as a Historical Point of Interest and currently sit on the City of Elk Grove’s Historic Preservation Committee. She received EGHS Individual of the Year in 1987. She retired from Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations and currently is the manager of The Red Door Antiques in Old Town. She sits on the Boards of the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center and Elk Grove Cosumnes Cemetery District.
She volunteered at the Historical Society Mother’s Day Tea & Yard Sale and hopes to have a more prominent role.
RECORDING SECRETARY – Jessica Gutierrez
My name is Jessica Gutierrez, and Elk Grove has been my home for the past 27 years. Having spent most of my life here, I have watched our community grow and change while still holding onto so much of the history and character that makes Elk Grove special. This community is where I grew up, where I have built my life, and where my husband and I are raising our family.
My husband and I are proud parents of two daughters, and we are excited to soon welcome another little one, growing our family to five. Being a mother has made me especially passionate about community involvement and about creating opportunities for younger generations to feel connected to the place they call home.
I come from a Mexican family, and I am incredibly proud of my Hispanic heritage. My culture and upbringing have given me a deep appreciation for family, tradition, and the importance of remembering where we come from. I believe our stories—whether they belong to a family, a culture, or an entire community—are worth preserving and passing down to future generations.
Community service has become an important part of my life. Through my involvement with Girl Scouts Service Unit 144, I have had the opportunity to work alongside families, volunteers, local organizations, and businesses while helping create meaningful experiences for girls in our community. One of the things I enjoy most is finding ways to connect our youth with the people, places, and organizations around them.
Elk Grove is much more than the city where I live. It is a community that has been part of my story for nearly three decades, and now it is part of my daughters’ stories as well. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that has given my family so much, while helping celebrate and preserve the history, traditions, and stories that make Elk Grove home.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY – Julie Cooper
I am a long-term resident of the Elk Grove area and a graduate of Elk Grove High School. Three of my grandchildren currently attend Kerr/Elk Grove High. I am retired after more than forty years in Healthcare Technology Management and am certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP).
I have volunteered with the Elk Grove Historical Society for two years, serving as a docent, serving on the Spring Tea Committee, and writing correspondence to thank event donors.
I have served as a board member for other organizations, including the Elk Grove Girls Softball Association and Aeolian Yacht Club, where I held a number of positions and developed their data management system.
My passion for our organization and my curiosity about local history are rooted in my family’s connection to Alta Mesa, where family members settled in the 1800s. I have fond childhood memories of ‘working’ on their dairy farm and exploring the area.
Thank you for the opportunity to run for Corresponding Secretary. The biography below outlines my background and involvement with the Society. If elected, I look forward to serving in this role.
Truly,
Julie Cooper
