As I have mentioned before, Orange County’s oldest and largest Republican finance organization is the Lincoln Club.  Founded many decades ago by some of the icons of Orange County Republicanism, the Lincoln Club continues to make a difference on behalf of Republican candidates and causes both in "The OC" and well beyond, to the state and national level.
 
For the past five and a half years, the day-to-day operations of the Lincoln Club have been handled by their Executive Director Beth Holder.  I have known Beth for many, many years and I can assure all FR readers that she has done a tremendous job for that organization. 
 
That said, Beth called me last week to let me know that she would be moving on from the Lincoln Club, on to new and different challenges.  Beth had been serving in this job in a part-time capacity (choosing to devote some of her family) — and the Lincoln Club President, Richard Wagner, had made a decision to elevate the Executive Director post to a full-time position. 
 
So let me wish Beth the best of luck in her future endeavors, and just say that her departure is truly a loss for the club.  Good luck, Beth!
 
That said, I am very excited to share with FR readers that RIchard Wagner has announced that the new full-time ED of the Lincoln Club will be Clare Venegas (known to some of you by her recently disgarded maiden name of Climaco – see her photo to the right)!
 
While I don’t know Clare nearly as well as I know Beth, I’ve had an opportunity to have lunch with her, and can assure all that Clare will be bringing a great deal of enthusiasm and tenacity to this important post.
 
Clare has spent the last 5+ years working in the public sector for the Transportation Corridor Agencies (translation:  the OC Toll Roads) as a manager for Communications and Public Affairs.  Before that she spent many years working in the technology center of the world – the Silicon Valley, where she worked in communications.  Don’t hold this next part against her, but Clare spent eighteen months working for the Orange County Register as a local reporter. 
 
Clare is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Political Science (of course).
 
The challenges facing Clare will be great as Richard Wagner and his leadership team have, I am sure, high expectations.  While Clare has some big footsteps to walk in as she takes the torch from Beth, I am sure that she will be successful.  A key strength of the large Lincoln Club is its active board of directors, who will all be helping Clare to be successful.
 
Congratulations, Clare!!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.