2023-2024 Board Members
Barry Hutchings (he/him)
President
Barry started curling three-and-a-half years ago, in a Learn to Curl with Anthony and Christina D’Arco a week before Christmas. After the class was done, they asked Barry if he wanted to join the league that started in two weeks. He said, "Yes!"
With Greg Torkleson and Anthony D'Arco as Skip and Vice, Hutchings' team won the Club Championship! "WOW, this curling thing is easy, NOT!" he says with a laugh. "I just love the people, the new friendships, and the camaraderie of WCC."
Barry's Favorite Bonspiel: Wauwautosa Mens Spiel
"Gotta love the Boat Races... I JUST ABOUT WON!!"
Lauren Visser (she/her)
Vice President
Lauren started curling in 2019 after her husband Aaron bought her a Learn to Curl for her birthday. As a former soccer coach and current certified curling instructor, Lauren leads Windy City’s rookie league and loves introducing more people to this amazing sport.
She has too many incredible bonspiel memories to choose a favorite, but she’s proud to forever be a member of the Fa-La-La-La-Llamas.
When she’s not curling, Lauren loves to travel internationally (some of her favorite cities are Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; and Buenos Aires, Argentina), explore different forest preserves and hiking trails, entertain her nieces and nephews, and read, read, read.
Eric Reithel (he/him)
Secretary
Eric Baudais (he/him)
Treasurer
Eric joined Windy City Curling in 2019 when the dedicated facility first opened. He was looking for a curling club because he recently moved to the Chicago area. That's where he found a wonderful club with great people and awesome curling!
Baudais started curling in Tulsa, Oklahoma during an Olympic Learn to Curl in 2018. He remembers being a first-time curler and taking five tries before having enough balance to throw a rock. He became addicted to curling and curled as much as he could.
Eric's other hobbies include rennacting, video games, and baking; just ask the Sunday morning crew! He has a newborn daughter, and tries to spend as much time with her.
Eric's Favorite Bonspiel: WCC's Food Truck Bonspiel!
Anne Pettinger (she/her)
Director
Aaron DeGagne (he/him)
Aaron started curling in 2009 when he joined his high school‘s curling team on a whim. Although his coaches didn’t know much about the sport, Aaron eventually figured out how to throw a rock, but draw weight remains a mystery! He is excited to work with the fantastic people on the board, help grow the sport of curling, and spend even more time thinking about curling. Aaron has been a member of Windy City since May 2019.
Aaron's Favorite Bonspiel Memory: The 2020 Waltham Mixed, with Barry Hutchings, Luiza Hutchings, Rebecca Tulloch
Kent McKenzie (he/him)
Director
I was elected and joined the WCC Board at the annual meeting on May 6, 2023
I started curling during an Olympic Year learn-to-curl at Racine Curling Club in February 2018
I joined Windy City during the COVID dark times in the fall of 2020 when many other clubs were not allowing any curling
My favorite bonspiel is tough. The Sawtooth Outdoor Spiel in Stanley Idaho was amazing, but I'm going with the Potomac Curling Club Glitter Bomb Spiel last year, where I didn't pull our team down too much and we managed to win the B event!
Previous Boards
- President – Aaron DeGagne
- Vice President - Barry Hutchings
- Past President – Ray Stone
- Secretary – Eric Reithel
- Finance – Jon Henderson
- Director – Eric Baudais
- President – Ray Stone
- Vice President – Aaron DeGagne
- Past President – Tom Arra
- Secretary – Eric Reithel
- Finance – Jon Henderson
- Director – Barry Hutchings
- Director – Anne Pettinger
- President – Tom Arra
- Vice President – Ray Stone
- Past President – Brian Stoiber
- Secretary – Kerry Myers
- Treasurer – Jon Henderson
- Director – Mike Lerner
- Director – Vacant
- President – Brian Stoiber
- Vice President – Tom Arra
- Past President – Simon Ganet
- Secretary – Kerry Myers
- Treasurer – Jon Henderson
- Director – Mike Lerner
- Director – Carrol Collins (partial term)
