Board of Directors

Bob joined the Rotary Club of Roswell in 1998 and served as its President in 2008 – 2009 Rotary year. Prior to serving as Club President, he served as Treasurer, Secretary and President Elect. He has worked on multiple Roswell Rotary International Club Projects in Haiti, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico and India. Bob served on the Roswell Board of Directors from 2001 – 2010 and as Presidential Advisor for 2012 – 2013 and 2014 – 2015.

He was honored to receive the 2007 Roswell Rotarian of the Year Award and the 2008 Sheffield Award for leadership as Club President. He has been recognized for his contributions to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International with a Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society, Arch Klump Society, Level 4 Foundation benefactor, and is a member of the Bequest Society. His contributions toward the Georgia Rotary Student Program have been recognized with a presentation of a Will Watt Fellow, Hue Thomas Fellow, Kendall Weisiger Fellow and a Ronnie Waller Fellow.

He has served Rotary District 6900 for many years including the 2009 Paul Harris Society Chair, 2010 Major Donor Chair, 2010 RI Montreal Convention Coordinator, 2011 Audit Committee, 2012 – 2014 Assistant Governor, 2013 District Conference Co-Chair and 2012 – 2014 Finance Committee and he was District Governor of District 6900 in 2015-16.

Bob’s profession is Nursing and Assisted Living Homes Administration. An Advocate for long-term care for our seniors, he has owned and managed thirty-two nursing and assisted living homes in the southeast employing approximately 2,500 employees. Born in Lake City, Florida and raised in the Atlanta area, Bob has lived in Roswell since 1973. He graduated from Valdosta State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology in 1976 with post graduate studies in Guidance and Counseling. He was a member of the ODK Honor Society and the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He has served on the Board of Governors at VSU since 1986. He is still an active member of the Alumni Association, a current Board Member of the VSU Foundation and the Blazer Athletic Board. Bob was the recipient of the Valdosta State University Distinguished Alumni Award for 2015. PDG Bob was recently inducted into the VSU athletic Hall of Fame. Bob is a member of the Board of Directors of the Kappa Alpha Order Foundation and the Georgia Laws of Life Organization enhancing high school education.

Bob is a long time member of the Roswell United Methodist Church, and is on the Board of Stewards, as well as the Foundation Committee and Vice Chair of the Finance Committee. He has served for 22 years as the Foundation Chair for the “Malone Dodson Golf Tournament”.

Bob also serves on the Board of many local charities including Homestretch, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Star House Foundation, Georgia Laws of Life and the Child Development Association. Bob was honored in 2009 by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre by receiving the esteemed annual “Legacy Award” for his contribution to the community of Roswell. He is a long time Board member of The Cottage School where he had served as President for 9 years. He was honored for his long time support with the new education building named after him – HAGAN HALL. He is also the past President of the Georgia Ensemble Theatre and the HomeStretch Foundation. Bob was honored during the 2013 Magnolia Ball for his long support and dedication to the preservation of Bulloch Hall and was the President in 2017. He is currently active with the American Cancer Society who honored him at the 2014 “Evening of Hope”, celebrating his bravery, positive attitude and a desire to help the American Cancer Society finish the fight against cancer. He is a 2014 recipient of the “History Maker of the Year Award 2014” from the Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bob is serving as the Zone 34 – End Polio Now Coordinator in 2017-21 for Rotary International. In 2019 he was awarded the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World from The Rotary Foundation for his efforts in promoting polio eradication. In 2020 PDG Bob was presented with the Rotary International Service above Self award.

Bob was inducted into the Sheffield Leadership Society Hall of Fame in 2018. The 2nd District 6900 past president to receive this award.

Bob is the proud father of two adult married children, Brooke and Chad, who are both Rotarians. He also has one grand-daughter named Winnie. Bob enjoys traveling, walking and is an avid tennis player.

Pamela Sikes Billingsley, a native Atlantan, began her career as historic site coordinator of Bulloch Hall in 1989 and retired in October 2020. Pam has served on the Friends of Bulloch Board since 1994. In 1998 she attended the Winterthur Winter Institute in Delaware to study American Decorative Arts. On December 10th, 2013 she received the Historic Recognition Award from the Martha Stewart Bulloch Chapter of the DAR for Preservation. In 2014 Pam received the Remarkable Women Award from the Leitalift Foundation in Roswell. Pam served on the board of the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries for two terms. She was a member of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and attended their annual meetings around the country. During this time she met Edith D. Williams on the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier for the ships Family Day. Edith was Theodore’s granddaughter. Edith later contacted Pam and wanted to present Bulloch Hall with several original Bulloch China place settings and later her mother Ethel, Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter’s , silver tea service. Pam attended conferences and workshops on Domestic Skills at Old Salem, NC, Williamsburg, Brattonsville, Burritt on the Mountain and the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA. All of this training gave her the tools to present open hearth presentations etc. to school groups and visitors coming to Bulloch Hall. Pam attended a Smithsonian workshop on museum education for children in Kennesaw. She is also a Life member of the Roswell Woman’s Club.

Pam created successful programs for Friends of Bulloch such as: Christmas for Kids, Christmas High Teas, Mittie’s Wedding, Rough Rider Camp,Moonlight and Martinis, Night at the Museum, Evening in the Quarters, a joint conference between Bulloch Hall and the Department of Natural Resources Preservation Division held at Bulloch Hall, Osage Orange Festival, Murder Mystery evening, 19th century Magician Show with Music and cocktails, Archaeology programs during Preservation month in May and other events and programs throughout her 31 years. She developed joint programs with Williams Payne House in Sandy Springs, the Joel Chandler Harris Museum and the Herndon home in Atlanta. Pam worked with the Bulloch Hall staff in developing an award winning Museum room on the Bullochs and the Roosevelt’s. She worked closely with Dr. Page Talbott of Philadelphia on the Bulloch Hall house furnishings plan and with consultant, Sara Chase of Boston on the original interior house colors. Bulloch Hall has been taken back to the original 1839 colors. Pam and her staff worked with Page Talbott on the period appropriate fabrics for chairs, sofas, dining room curtains and English made wool runners for the main hall staircase.

She was instrumental in the reconstruction of all outbuildings to the Bulloch period. She worked closely with Elise Cormier on the Master Plan for Orchard Hill. As Site Coordinator she met with potential renters for the pavilion, Mittie’s Garden and Osage Room and very often worked these rental events. She co-chaired the Magnolia Ball with Emily Dolvin and then again later by herself.

Pam has two sons, Michael and Dallas Humphries , two daughters in law, Megan and Angie,4 granddaughters, Lily, Delilah, Harper and Riley and her two fur babies Tuile’ and Gracie. She loves history, traveling, museums, dancing, art, hiking and her cabin at Lake Burton.

Jacque Digieso was born in a military family and has lived in many places around the world.  She has been married to Joe for over fifty years.  They have two sons,two daughters-in-law and five beautiful grandchildren. She attended Agnes Scott College, University of Kentucky, Georgia State University, University of Georgia and Century University, earning her Ph.D in 2000.

Jacque always wanted to be a teacher and landed her first teaching job in 1968.  Her journey led her from teaching English, Speech and Drama to specializing in teaching students with unique learning styles.  She and her husband founded The Cottage School specifically to provide an environment where these students could thrive.  It has grown into an award winning educational program for students with learning differences and was featured in the magazine, Southern Living, in 1997.

Since moving to Atlanta in 1974, Jacque has been active in her church community, recognized as an educational innovator and has held several board of director’s positions. In 2003 Jacque travelled to Japan as a Fulbright Scholar.  She has served as president of the Atlanta Area Association for Independent Schools, president of both Roswell East and Roswell Rotary Club, president of Georgia Association of Schools for Exceptional Children, and is active in Friends of Bulloch.  Among the many honors she has received, she has been recognized as a Woman of Distinction, Phenomenal Woman, and Atlanta Business Chronicle Woman of the Year. Jacque has also been a presenter at National and international conferences on a wide variety of topics related to educational models, socialization and research on adolescence and learning.  In 2007. she and Joe won the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Small Business Persons of the Year. 

Jacque retired in 2015.  She and Joe recently published a book on The Cottage School model and are working on a second book celebrating the extraordinary students and staff with whom they’ve partnered along the way.

Karen Schwank owns Kee Designs, Inc., a full service commercial interior design firm.  She specializes in dental and medical office design.  Karen has 38 years of experience as an interior designer.  She has a BS degree in interior design from Virginia Tech.  Many of Karen’s projects have won Georgia ASID Design Excellence awards.

Karen is a long time member of Georgia America Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and serves nationally on the ASID Advocate by Design Council and subcommittees, Industry Standards and Building, Fire, Life Safety.  She is a Past President of Georgia ASID and Georgia Alliance for Interior Design Professionals (GAIDP).  She is NCIDQ certified and among the first interior designers to be licensed in Georgia.  She is a past board member of the Roswell Rotary Club and continues to be active in the club.  Karen is a board member and treasurer for Friends of Bulloch (FOB) in Roswell, Georgia and a past co-chair for the FOB Magnolia Ball and a current committee member.

Personally Karen is married and has a son and daughter.  Karen has a love for the arts. She is a potter and enjoys creating functional pieces on the potter’s wheel.  She also enjoys knitting.  Karen fits in time for travel whenever possible.  She loves to travel near and far.

Nancy Hyjek Alterman was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. A licensed Radiation Therapist who graduated from Erie Community College and received a BS degree in Biology from the University of Rochester. In Rochester she worked for Strong Memorial Hospital as a Radiation Therapist and then moved to Boston selling medical equipment for a Swedish company while studying at Boston University; it was there that she met her husband of 34 years. They moved to Delaware, where Nancy was the State of Delaware’s Medical Affairs Director for the American Cancer Society, and their daughter Tori was born.  Tori is currently an ICU nurse for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital.  Thirty years ago they moved to Alpharetta and Nancy worked as a Radiation Therapist at Piedmont Hospital and more recently as a Certified Professional Coder and Auditor with Peachtree Radiation Oncology.

Nancy has been the consummate fundraiser for 35 years and has guided many nonprofits to help them build strategic partnerships and stay competitive in today’s ever-changing environment. She has been a Silent Auction Chair for numerous nonprofit fundraisers to include: the American Cancer Society Evening of Hope (Atlanta and North Fulton); Be the Voice Toga Party; Chattahoochee Nature Center Rockin’ on the River; Child Development Academy Down Home Derby; Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Polo in the Pines; Every Woman Works Stars Dancing to Change Lives; Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance Delta Museum Gala; Happy Tails Gala; Festival of Trees Preview Party; Friends of Bulloch, Inc. Magnolia Ball; North Fulton Community Charities Forks & Corks at Avalon; North Fulton Junior League Star Ball; Roswell Azalea Festival Gala; and Roswell Rotary Golf & Tennis Tournament.

Nancy has served as Gala Chair for the American Cancer Society Evening of Hope North Fulton; Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Festival of Trees Preview Party; Happy Tails Pet Therapy 25th Anniversary Gala; and Friends of Bulloch, Inc. Magnolia Ball.  She is the Past President of both the Alpharetta Junior Women’s Club and the Roswell Gymnastics Booster Club. She has served on the Board of Directors of Happy Tails Pet Therapy as both Secretary and Foundation Director and currently serves as Happy Tails Orientation Chair and Handler/Pet Evaluator.  She is extremely active in the Roswell Rotary Club and has held numerous positions to include Membership Chair, Service Projects Chair, Treasurer, and is currently Secretary and will be President for the 2024-2025 year term. 

More activities in which Nancy continued to so generously give to the community included Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Festival of Trees Corporate/Raffle Trees Chair and Gift Shoppe Chair; Mittie’s Gift & Museum Shoppe buyer; and Secretary for Big Canoe Sconti Ridge Condo Association; and participant and winner of Every Women Works Stars Dancing to Change Lives Fundraiser doing a Hip Hop routine with her daughter, Tori, to raise over $20,000.

In December of 2016 Alpharetta Lifestyle Magazine honored Nancy Alterman as one of the top 5 people in Alpharetta who makes giving to the community a priority.  She has a passion for training therapy dogs especially their new puppy, Millarky, and enjoys reading, walking, and cheering her UGA Dawgs!

Sandy Buhler received a BS from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University, a MS from the University of Memphis, and taught science, chemistry, and physics at White Station High School in Memphis for 13 years.

After her teaching career Ms. Buhler worked for three Fortune 500 Corporations over a 30-year period. The last 20 years of her career was with Kimberly-Clark where her first position was as a Product Manager for healthcare apparel. Her final position as Manager of Professional Relations was created specifically for her in the Corporation of 55,000 employees. Ms. Buhler held this position for 15 years and was the “face of Kimberly-Clark” and liaison to the healthcare industry. She served numerous professional associations and sat on their Exhibitors Advisory Committees, AORN Surgical Services Editorial board, and as a corporate trustee for the APIC Research Foundation Board.

At Kimberly-Clark Sandy initiated and managed two major prestigious education efforts that were highly regarded in the industry. The Georgetown University Healthcare Leadership Institute in Washington, DC, lasted 10 years as a partnership with Kimberly-Clark and the Georgetown University School of Nursing and School of Business. The Annual Conference on Infectious Diseases was the second partnership created by Ms. Buhler with the Association of Operating Room Nurses that featured well-known experts in infectious diseases.

Sandy received the IAHCSMM Award of honor which is the highest recognition given to a non-member for dedicated support of their organization and profession. After her retirement they gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Healthcare Purchasing News solicited reader input as a part of their 30th Anniversary to identify the top 30 Pros that influenced the healthcare industry. It was an incredible honor to be recognized in that group and Sandy Buhler was one of those professionals that had influenced healthcare both in the industry and in Washington, DC.

In Roswell, GA, Ms. Buhler serves on the committee for Harvest on the Hooch at the Chattahoochee Nature Center and is a VIP Sponsor; served four years as Chair or Co-Chair for the Magnolia Ball, the Fundraiser for the preservation of Bulloch Hall; chaired the Stars Dancing to Change Lives Fundraiser for Every Woman Works, Inc. for two years; is an active member in the Roswell Rotary Club; serves on the Board of Directors for The Cottage School and as Advancement Chair; Board of Directors for Friends of Bulloch; Board of Influence for Every Woman Works and is President of the Roswell Place Homeowners Association. The Cottage School requested Ms. Buhler to form a Think Tank of Women to fund a scholarship endowment. The Cottage School Azalea Festival Golf & Gala was the first fundraiser to support this endeavor. This led to the creation of the Roswell Azalea Festival, now in its sixth year with Ms. Buhler as Chair. The Roswell Azalea Festival Gala funded The Cottage School scholarship endowment for 5 years.

Sandy’s great joys, besides nonprofit work, include a spoiled only-cat named Coco, a significant other named Walt, and a gorgeous silver Porsche Boxster. Snow skiing, scuba diving and tennis were a great part of her life until she got put on the injured reserve list. She now stays active supporting her community.

Jonathan was raised in the beautiful tri-state region of upstate New York fifteen minutes from the historic Saratoga Battlefield, where his love of history was born. Mr. Crooks was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History degree from Siena College in 1978. At the age of 20, Jonathan was vice-president of his hometown’s Knickerbocker Historical Society. His pursuit of his love of history has never wavered since.
Mr. Crooks spent most of his working years in the field of telecommunications serving as a National Sales/Marketing Training Director and a Consultant for large national and international telecommunications firms. He also spent time with Lego Systems and Walton Communities locally. Jonathan has served as Chief of Staff for Georgia state Senator John Albers who represents Roswell, Georgia.
Mr. Crooks’ historical and community service pursuits include a five-year stint as a volunteer at Manassas National Battlefield Park and served as the volunteer coordinator for 3 years for the Stone House while also delivering talks on Henry and Matthews Hill on Civilian interaction during the battles. He additionally served on the Mounted Patrol for the Battlefield.
Jonathan served as a five-year volunteer historic interpreter at “Sully Plantation” in Fairfax Virginia, as well as a re-enactor for the site for special events.
Locally, Mr. Crooks, having moved to Roswell in 2002, has served as a two term President of the Roswell Lions Club, is an Elder at Roswell Presbyterian Church, served for the past 12 years on the Magnolia Ball Committee for Bulloch Hall, currently works in Mittie’s Gift Shoppe for Bulloch Hall and is a very active member of the Roswell Rotary.
Jonathan can often be seen around Roswell portraying many of Roswell’s founding families for the City of Roswell or delivering historical talks related to Roswell for many of the local historical societies. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Old Jail Museum in Warrenton, Va. And has been a member of the Roswell Historical Society and Friends of Bulloch for the better part of two decades.
Mr. Crooks has two daughters, a son, son-in-law and now a grandson, most of whom live locally.

Born and raised in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State, an area rich in the history of the American Revolution, Gwendolyn Koehler earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Arts degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She retired from her teaching career in 2000 and moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, with her husband Arthur C. Koehler.

Gwendolyn found an advertisement in the newspaper that caught her interest. Bulloch Hall, the 1839 home of Mittie Bulloch, mother of President Theodore Roosevelt, was looking for Volunteer Docents. She answered the ad, fell in love with the house and the story of the Bulloch/Roosevelt family and entered her journey into the Southern past. What began as a volunteer opportunity to pursue her love of history evolved into a lengthy second career. (One of the Bulloch docents now calls her a galvanized Southerner.)

At Bulloch she was responsible for recruiting and training docents, the research library and archives, the intern program, participation in historic reenactments, and in planning special events. She developed and led specialized Decorative Arts and Architectural tours of the house. She was a member of the Advisory Board of the Schools of Anthropology, Geography, and GIS at Kennesaw University and the North Georgia Archives Association. Gwendolyn shared the story of the Bulloch/Roosevelt families with many civic groups, the Daughters of the American Revolution, Children of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Colonists, Colonial Dames, Bulloch Guilds, book clubs and others. A list of her presentations is available on this website under History/Presentations.

As in-depth research soon revealed it was necessary to authenticate the available information regarding the history of the family, and other projects. With her coauthor, Connie Huddleston, she traveled to the Houghton Library at Harvard University where a collection of Bulloch and Roosevelt family letters are preserved. The nine-year project involved interpreting and transcribing hundreds of pages of family letters written during the 19th century.
With the support of Friends of Bulloch and the Bulloch Hall Guilds three books of the letters were published: Mittie and Thee, An1853 Romance; Between the Wedding and the War; The Bulloch/Roosevelt Letters 1854-1860; and Divided Only By Distance and Allegiance, The Bulloch/Roosevelt Letters 1861-1865. The books are available at the Friends of Bulloch Gift Shop at Bulloch Hall, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

EDWIN A. TATE, II, born El Paso, Texas, February 16, 1955; admitted to bar, 1980, Georgia.
Education: State University of New York at Binghamton (B.A., with outstanding academic performance, 1977);
Emory University (J.D., 1980).
Phi Beta Kappa; Pi Sigma Alpha; Phi Delta Phi.
Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; Lawyers Club of Atlanta.
[City Councilman, Roswell, Georgia 1991-2000].