Contact Our Board Members

President: Curtis Betzler (425)223-1126

Working with young people allows one to feel connected to the future and I have been fortunate enough to be a teacher for many years. I think sharing with students that through their education the opportunities afforded them in their future will increase is very critical to our world. Through travel, I’ve also been able to meet many incredible people in some amazing places on our planet. During these travels I also recognized the need for educational resources and basic needs in some areas. Knowing that I teach in a place where, in many cases, we have an excess of resources and most all of our basic needs are met, I began working on a way to connect kids in different regions. I truly believe that in the right environment, all people want to learn and also that all people like to share. This "idea" really took off due to the efforts of the children in the community I work. They happily gave not only resources, but time, energy, planning and commitment to see this project through. Their effort was rewarded when I witnessed the joy of children in Africa when receiving these resources and the impact it has had on their lives and community over several years. Giving and receiving go hand and hand. This was also solidified when returning and sharing the successes with students back home. Our commitment is to empower young people in both regions to shape their world through education, sharing, commitment, and leadership. With the help of thousands of students in our community, the aid of many staff, parents and community members, Generation Joy Foundation is now a reality that is touching lives in South Africa. less

Vice President: Barb Steeves

Barb brings a background of business leadership as well as a passion around actively working to help our global community. She currently leads the Risk Management Office for Microsoft's Online Services Division. Prior to Microsoft, Barb was a Consultant and an Assistant Vice President for Safeco Insurance. Her skills include business acumen, risk management, process improvement, product management, project management and community relations. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a minor in Accounting at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington in 1985 and remains a rabid Zag supporter. In addition to serving as Generation Joy Foundation's Vice President, Barb is a mentor with the Gonzaga Alumni Mentor Program's Seattle Chapter. less

Secretary: Jenna Velozo

Jenna is in her fifth year of teaching mathematics at Beaver Lake Middle School. In 2007 she had the opportunity to travel with Curtis Betzler and Rob Tyrrell to South Africa - the experience changed her life and opened a door for a new way to give back to the community. Jenna returned to South Africa in both the summer of 2008 [with Curtis and three Beaver Lake families] and the summer of 2009 [with Curtis, two other board members, a fellow teacher and one of the school counselors]. The experience of distributing educational supplies and stuffed toys to school children in rural areas has been incredibly rewarding - the sheer joy on the faces of the children speaks volumes. Jenna looks forward to continued work, and growth, with Generation Joy where she currently serves as Secretary. less

Strategist: Joe Osborne

Joe firmly believes in the value of cultural exchange and the potential it has to transform the way we view ourselves and interact with the world. As the Sr. Advisor to People to People Ambassador Programs, Joe manages a large, dedicated group of volunteers and travels extensively to create partnerships and address crowds about this global education program. He has reached roughly fifty thousand individuals with this message since 2007. As Strategist for GenJoy, Joe hopes to integrate his background in sales, territory development, and strategic partnerships to further enhance the vision and great promise of the foundation. His belief in the value of GenJoy’s work and its potential to impact the educational lives of youth and, thus, communities worldwide was crystallized while serving on the travel team to South Africa over the summer of 2009. He counts himself fortunate to have the opportunity to serve with such wonderful people in a very supportive, generous community. Joe graduated with a business degree and M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, and is often found voiceless during the Zag’s basketball season. He resides in Seattle and is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Meredith, a BLMS middle school counselor, coach, and tireless supporter. less

Director of Programs: Ellen Betzler

As an educator for over two decades, Ellen has helped thousands of students grow as human beings while building skills for the future. Her teaching experience canvasses Special Education, Middle School and High School. Her teaching, coaching and numerous positions of leadership have provided her with a broad prospective of how to assist students. Ellen earned her Bachelor of Education in Special Education as well as her Master of Arts in Administration and Curriculum at Gonzaga University in Spokane. With her brother Curtis Betzler ( President of Generation Joy Foundation), Ellen spent two and a half weeks in South Africa in 2006 learning and aiding those in need. Ellen currently serves as the Program Committee Chair of the Generation Joy Foundation Board. less

Director of Marketing: Caroline Brown

Caroline has been actively involved in helping kids since obtaining her education degree in the UK and teaching home economics to high school children for some years. In 1994 she moved to France, holding positions as an English language teacher in a communications company as well as bringing up two fantastic children, Ellie and Toby. In 2002 she moved with her family to the USA, first to Milwaukee where she worked in a spice company and then to Sammamish. Caroline is PTSA President for Beaver Lake M.S. and will continue this position at Skyline High School. She is active in National Charity League volunteering with her daughter in several local projects. At Echo Glen she is helping hands in the Art Docent program. With her "bloom where you are planted". philosophy, Caroline will be an active member of the Generation Joy Board having seen first hand the excellent work done by the travel team in South Africa last summer with her son Toby. less

Director: Linda Guard

An active volunteer in the Issaquah School District for many years, Linda and her daughter spent three weeks in South Africa in the summer of 2008 visiting schools, meeting children, and assisting with the distribution of educational supplies. Linda earned a B.S. in Nursing from Indiana University and has been a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center for more than 20 years. She co-chairs a volunteer art docent program at Echo Glen; a youth detention facility, and serves on the board of the Beaver Lake Middle School PTSA. less