NCA’s Directors and Officers are elected for a one-year term at the Annual General Assembly (AGM) held in the first quarter of each year. The NCA Board comprises four Officers, President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary, four Directors-at-Large, and the immediate Past President. All Officers and Directors must be Lakeside area residents. Officers may not be re-elected to the same post more than twice. Directors may be re-elected to successive terms without restriction.
Every current sponsor is a voting member of NCA, and is entitled to vote in person, or by a registered proxy given to another member. Proxies must be in written form to be acceptable.
NCA’s bylaws provide that if a Director resigns, or for any reason is unable to complete his or her term in office, the President, with majority support of the Board, may appoint another member of NCA to fill this position until the next AGM. Also, effective in 2006, the outgoing President remains on the board as Past-President.
On July 29th, 2020, a new slate of Directors was elected. Officers and Directors elected at this AGM are:
Doug Friend, President
Lana Ehlebracht, Vice President
Tyler Buhl, Treasurer,
Nancy Allan, Secretary
Four board positions are vacant at the moment.
Doug Friend
Originally from Montreal, Canada, I moved to Mexico with my wife and two children in 2007. My wife and I are now permanent residents of Mexico, living in La Floresta (where we’ve hosted the East Indian Butter Chicken fundraisers). We have been ongoing sponsors with NCA for the past ten plus years, usually with three or four children sponsored at a time. I’m the President of Register4Less.com, an ICANN-Accredited domain name registrar and full-service web hosting provider, and also own Lakeside Web Works, a Chapala based company that specializes in website development and search engine optimization. I hold a B.Sc. in Computer Science, with minors in Mathematics and Business.
If you have attended our “For the Love of Education” fundraisers held on or close to Valentine’s day, so will have seen me on the drums with Mike and the Suspects. Our band gladly donates our performance to the NCA fundraiser every year. For close to ten years I have been NCA’s web director. In 2016 I have focussed on NCA’s outreach program, and we are now working with the Presbyterian church, the Foundation for Lakeside Charities and Operation Feed in San Juan Cosalá to expand NCA’s reach for helping local children obtain a quality education. Thanks to our partners, you can find online to suit every preference and budget, from budget to top-of-the-range super stylish models.
Lana Ehlebracht
Lana McCoy Ehlebracht retired ten years ago in Mexico after selling the majority of business holdings in the United States. A career specializing in consumer and commercial auto financing did not prepare her for the adventures waiting in this new homeland. She is now proudly a ‘Permanente´ in this wonderful little bubble of paradise. Education has always been a passion. In the ‘old days’, when the IBM desktop was the best thing on the market she earned a BS CS following her first field of study, computer programming. Necessity would dictate that she develop business and finance skills leading to an MBA with a finance emphasis. Lifelong learning is paramount and the love of learning was clearly passed to her daughter, Lily, who together started here, lakeside, Instituto Internacional. Giving back to the community which has so graciously accepted the newcomers has been rewarding. Offering world-class educational opportunities to our area and competitive programs open doors and minds to new experiences.
Tyler Buhl, Treasurer
My background is in finance which led to career in the music industry in New York. I stepped out of my role as CFO of a Warner Music division and into independent music promotion in 2001 taking the helm of a start up internet marketing company as COO, which brought me to Mexico for the first time in 2005 to interview and film a local band. I immediately found ‘family’ and a deep connection to Mexico and the people here. I was drawn back for regular visits and knew I had found where my heart belonged and made the move. I have known the work of the NCA organization for many years and greatly admired the dedication and drive of the volunteers and the respect and admiration from the community they serve. I am proud to take a more active role and be a part of changing the lives of children through education.
Nancy Allan, Secretary
I consider myself a really good listener and a first-rate problem solver. When you need help with anything involving real estate, come talk to me… see if you don’t agree. My background is in human resources, marketing, and finance. In 1998, I started Register4less.com and it’s been a great success, but an even better training ground for me.
I fell in love with Chapala and moved here from Canada in 2008. As a longtime resident, I know the area and its people well. Close to my heart here at Lakeside is the Niños de Chapala charitable organization(NCA). I’ve worked with the NCA team since 2008, and treasure every moment and memory. I thrive in any team environment, love mentoring and cross-training employees, and delight most of all in helping others achieve success.
“Nancy has integrity and a high morality, and that translates to success.” This quote from a friend and colleague makes me inordinately happy. I have indeed made it a lifelong priority to strive for clear, above-board, and honest interactions with everyone, in every situation.
To view the organization’s bylaws, please click here.