By Carol Tobias, NRLC President
Newly elected Chairman of the Board Lynda Bell with retiring Chairman Geline B. Williams.
For 34 years, Geline B. Williams has used her southern charm to guide the Board of Directors for National Right to Life. On Saturday, she retired from that position, passing the gavel to Lynda Bell, NRLC board member representing Florida Right to Life.
Geline remains a member of the NRLC Board and Executive Committee but decided it was time to turn the honor of Chairman over to Mrs. Bell who was elected by the board to succeed Geline. North Carolina’s Barbara Holt was elected vice-chairman of the board.
Geline was first elected as Chairman of the Board in 1981 and was continuously re-elected until stepping down. She earned the respect of the many Board members who have served over the years. Her sense of honesty and fairness made her a superb chairman. Her wisdom, gentility, and wit made her a much-loved fellow Board member.
Geline and her late husband Alex were founding members of the Virginia Society for Human Life in 1967, and she continues to serve on the VSHL Board of Directors. Geline and Alex were also instrumental in NRLC’s founding in 1968. Along with her pro-life work, she was also active in the Catholic Church and on the Richmond city council. Geline served as mayor of Richmond, Virginia, from 1988-1990.
Retiring National Right to Life Chairman of the Board Geline B, Williams with NRLC President Carol Tobias
Lynda is president of Florida Right to Life, a position she has held before. She was the first woman mayor of Homestead, Florida, and served as Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission.
She has received many awards for her community work, including a 2012 honor for “Women First: Miami Women Who Led the Way.”
We are grateful that Geline remains on our Board and that she has a very capable successor in Lynda.