Welsh heritage
Keeping a welcome in the Bay
Our organization was established as a means to keep the Welsh culture vital in the Bay Area. Through our foundation we also make efforts to support those who have an interest in learning Welsh.
We hold events both large and small and distribute news. Most of all we enjoy keeping both those from Wales and those with an affection for Wales (or both) in touch with each other.
Wade DowDell
WASNC President
ERYL Aynsley
Cultural director / red dragon choir director
Ms. Aynsley is a native of Denbigh, North Wales, and is a founding member of the Welsh American Society of Northern California. She is a native speaker of Welsh, and was raised in the Land of Song in a musical family. Formerly Eryl was the Executive Director of two arts organizations in the Bay Area.
Bronwen lacey
Communications
Bronwen provides communications assistance to the Board, and is a regular contributor to our newsletter, Nodiadau Cymreig. I moved around the UK a lot as a child but home was always Welsh-accented and Welsh was always spoken around me. I moved to the Bay Area in 2006, having been happily in Cardiff since my college days. It was at Cardiff University that I met and married my English husband. It’s the Welsh flag that flies on our home in Milpitas, as I had both our boys in Cardiff before we moved away, so we outnumber him! I work as a storyteller and a librarian in an elementary school, and when not reading for work or pleasure, I am usually found singing in choirs or working on something crafty.
NANCY DUNLAP
WASNC MEMBERSHIP AND MAILING
Nancy handles our Membership and mailing, and has been a member of the society since 1990.
Laura Richardson
WASNC Treasurer
Laura is the former president and has been a member of the society since 1990.
She lives pretty close to the new Apple Mothership, and enjoys project management, singing, all kinds of instruments with strings, and folklore. She found Wales through harp repertoire, and dabbles in the instrument. It was a great honor to meet Nansi Richards,Telynores Maldwen, pictured right, in her home in North Wales, in 1971. She believes the world could use more music, more kindness, and more fellowship of all kinds.
Howard and Sue Thomas
WASNC Historians
Howard and Sue Thomas are founding members of WASNC, and have served in various capacities on the Board for many years. Sue is pictured to the right. This is a picture of Howard, with a Christmas pageant camel.
John Murden
WASNC Parlimentarian
John is a past President of WASNC, and still serves board as our current Parlimentarian. He also loves to sing.
The Members
The bedrock of the society
The really vital part of the society is the membership. The events would be wasted without a good attendance and we can only “keep a welcome” if we have welcoming people.
Please consider joining us if you have a Welsh connection, an affinity to Wales or just would like to learn more about Wales.