Meet the Board Members

President

Secretary

Treasurer

Al enlisted in the US Army in March of 1969 and served in the Signal Corps as an instructor of electronics at Ft. Monmouth, NJ for three years, until the end of the war in southeast Asia. All of his Army and Air Force students were deployed to communication centers in Vietnam or Bangkok. Following his ETS, he worked for 18 years in Atlantic County government starting as a Junior Accountant and later being appointed to the positions of Chief Administrative Officer and Deputy County Administrator. 

 

He was recruited by the private sector and joined South Jersey Industries in 1989 and retired from the company in 2007. During his tenure at SJI, he directed multiple corporate support functions including external affairs, customer services / commercial operations, information systems, facilities and materials management and Human Resources. He was also responsible for three of SJI’s subsidiary companies; Marina Energy (builders and operators of distributed generation systems); South Jersey Energy Service Plus (HVAC & appliance service, warranty, and installations) and Millennium Account Services (meter reading and related services). For over a decade, he chaired the SJI Investment Committee which bore responsibility for the asset management of employee/officers/directors qualified pension plans; non-qualified SERP; and 403(B) portfolios. 

 

Al has a lifelong commitment to service and the community. He served for 12 years, including two years as Board Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey; as Director Emeritus and past Board Chair of ARC Atlantic; as Board Chairman of the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey; as Board Chairman of the South Jersey Stage Company and as a Trustee of the Friends of the Ocean City Pops. 

 

Al has also served as Board President of the Atlantic County United Way; as a gubernatorial appointee to the NJ Public Employment Relations Commission; on the Executive Advisory Council to the Rutgers-Camden School of Business; as Chairman of the Linwood Zoning Board; as Trustee and Treasurer of Atlantic Cape Community College; and as a member of the Jersey Shore Partnership and the National Conference of Community & Justice. Al also chaired several blue-ribbon panels pursuing criminal justice alternatives in Atlantic County and chaired the technology committee for the Atlantic County 2000 Initiative.  

 

Once retired, Al served as a Director, Treasurer and Board President for a Florida based HOA, later working in volunteer capacities for 15 years…overseeing the HOAs budgetary, accounting, and financial management systems/ resource/ reporting. He rewrote the HOAs Declarations & Covenants; Bylaws and Rules and Regulations consistent with the then governing Florida State statutes; and designed and published its first website.

 

Al has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting & Economics from Stockton University and a graduate degree in Business Administration from Monmouth University. He is happily retired with his wife Gail and enjoys summers at the Jersey shore with their twin sons and eight grandchildren.

Sgt. At Arms

Chaplain

MICHELLE ATKINS SCHAEFER grew up in the New York metropolitan area. She attended the State University of New York at Brockport, where she earned a BSN, and began practicing nursing at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. After several years working in New York she moved to Tucson to pursue her Master’s Degree at the University of Arizona. Over a 40-plus-year career in nursing, Michelle’s work included stints in the emergency room, burn unit, and intensive care. She later became a Certified Diabetes Educator.  Her progressive career in hospital nursing led to her position an Assistant Director of Nursing for quality care.

In addition to her career in hospitals, Michelle taught nursing at OSU. While at OSU she developed the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Toolã.  Her research and tool development led to her recruitment by a pharmaceutical company, where she worked as a scientific liaison, educating healthcare providers on advances in osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment.

 

Recruited during a river rafting trip by the chief nurse of a combat support hospital, she joined the Army Reserve in 1988. During her 21-year career in the Army Reserve, she deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm, Egypt for NATO exercises, and a medical mission to Laos. After a transfer to Army Civil Affairs in 2006, she deployed as deputy commander of Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir, spending a year in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She retired as a Lt. Col. in 2009.

Director Membership

Director

Director

I served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly four years during the 1960s as an administrative specialist. Following my military service, I spent 35 years in the automotive industry as a salesperson, sales manager, and finally my own business The Negotiators Inc as a consultant, helping people get the best possible price when purchasing a vehicle.

 

I was also the founder and president of a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization, the Capital District Recovery Center (CDRC)  dedicated to helping individuals struggling with alcohol and substance abuse.

 

After retiring in 2020, I moved to Florida, where I’ve enjoyed staying active and involved in the community. I’ve been involved with The Players Club, the Military Veterans Club, and the Villa and Lifestyle committees.

 

I’m happily married to my lovely wife, Sheila. When people ask me how long we’ve been married, my answer is always, “Not long enough!”

In my free time, I’m an avid pickleball player and enjoy bicycle riding. I believe in staying active, building friendships, giving back to the community, and making the most of every day.

Director

 

BILL SCHAEFER was born and grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois. He attended Southern Illinois University on a baseball scholarship and subsequently played semi-pro baseball before pursuing his career in education, first as a social studies teacher and later in leadership roles.

 

In 1967, he enlisted in the Air Force, completing his basic training, Officer Candidate School, and training as a pilot at Lackland Air Force Base. After several stateside postings, his next assignment was to the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland. Their mission was tracking Russian bombers and fighters. His next assignment was with the Strategic Air Command at Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, where he was a squadron commander. Bill then transferred to the Air Force Reserve, returning to his career in education. After completing his PhD at Michigan State University in administration and higher education, Bill had a distinguished career as a School Superintendent, first with Eau Claire Schools (MI), then posts at Lake Zurich, IL; Phoenix, AZ; and Upper Arlington, OH.

 

He was twice named State Superintendent of the Year (Arizona and Ohio) and was a finalist for the National Superintendent of the Year in 2001. He retired from the superintendency in 2006. In addition, Bill taught executive development classes at Arizona State University, Ashland University, and The Ohio State University (OSU).

 

Bill spent a total of 27 years in the Air Force, retiring from the Air Force Reserve as a Lt. Col. in 1993. His Air Force Reserve assignments varied, including as a congressional liaison officer, where he advised members of Congress on military matters. He was also an advisor to the Superintendent of the Air Force Academy.

 

Ass't Secretary

 

Asst. Treasurer

 

Sandra Amato-Shipton entered military service on August 23, 1978, in Buffalo, New York. She retired from the United States Army Nurse Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel. Sandra holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. She served at military assignments in Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Germany, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.

 

Sandra completed many military schools to develop the competencies required for the advancing assignments she held in the medical field, including leadership and administration. Sandra also completed military combat training, including Command and General Staff School, which prepares officers to assume command roles during combat.

Sandra was assigned to McDonald Army Community Hospital in Newport News, Virginia, as the Director of Surgical Services when she was deployed with the 5th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). This medical unit supported the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She deployed on August 8, 1990, and returned home on April 17, 1991.

 

Military awards include the Army Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two stars, Overseas Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, and Army Meritorious Unit Citation.

 

Sandra is married and has four children, nine grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. She resides with her husband, Harvey, and is fully retired after a nursing career spanning 59 years.