Annemarie Gerace:  

Much like anyone else, my life has had twists and turns, but above all it has been filled with wonderful experiences and the love of friends and family. After college, I married, had one wonderful daughter and worked as a speech/theatre teacher, theatre director and forensics coach in the Chicago suburbs. My high school students won several Illinois State Championships, were State Finalists in Verse Reading, Extempore, and Prose Reading numerous times and, in competition with over 400 high schools, I coached the 1982 Illinois Readers Theatre State Champions, from Wheaton Central High School. Then it was time to move on. In 1979, I left teaching to work in HR and PR for Illinois Bell/Ameritech/ATT. In 1999, I was offered a position as Director of HR in the Dallas area (couldn't say no to warmer weather). A few years later, after zig-zagging the country for work, and accruing thousands of frequent-flyer miles, I had had enough. It was time to move on again. So, in 2004, I gave up the rat race, retired early, sold my home and most of my belongings, stored the rest, packed up my car and with my 2 cats drove down to San Andres Tuxtla, a small town in the rainforest of southern Mexico (near where "Romancing the Stone" and “Medicine Man” were filmed) to teach English as a Foreign Language to students aged 6 through adult. What an absolutely amazing and rewarding experience! A few years later I was offered an educational coaching position in Phoenix, then moved to Washington, D.C., for leadership development at the American Red Cross.HQ. Retired, for the second time in 2008. Packed up and drove cross country to Los Angeles to be near ...Expand for more