Board of Governors
DOROTHY MENZIES
Chairman of the Board of Governors
Dorothy Menzies was born in Belize in 1933 and left to study nursing in London when she was sixteen. She qualified as a State Registered Nurse (SRN) at University College Hospital, London. After living and working in the United Kingdom for thirteen years, she returned home to Belize but chose to give up the nursing profession and go into the business world, where she has remained until today.
Mrs. Menzies’ main charity of interest is the Child Care Center. She initially went there as a volunteer, was placed on its Board of Governors in 1991, and made Chairperson in 1992. The Center was named after her in 1999 in recognition of her good work and dedication. She also received an award of appreciation from the Ministry of Human Resources in 1996, and was made a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Belize in May 2003. Mrs. Menzies is married and has two daughters.
VIRGINIA ECHOLS
Treasurer of the Board of Governors
Virginia Echols was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1947. She began her career as a Dental Assistant, Instructor and Collections Expert in 1966. She attended the University of Detroit Dental School, Wayne County Community College. In 1982, she founded the Dental Auxiliary Services, Inc., a consultant agency and taught Dental Assisting at Wayne County Community College in Detroit.
Ms. Echols served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1983 to 1986 in Liberia, West Africa, following her tour of duty she worked as a collections agent for Liberia Telecommunications and later became the Director for Admissions and Student Records at the A. M. E. Zion Community College, Liberia, West Africa. She joined the Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is currently a licensed Missionary of that church.
Ms. Echols migrated to Belize in 1993 and is now the Director of Credit Master System. She serves as a host on a Women’s Talk Show on KREM Radio & TV. She is also a member of the Board of the UBAD Educational Foundation and is responsible for the programmes at the Library of African and Indian Studies including the Youth Group programmes and the Women’s Outreach Group that visit the women who are in prison. She initially was a volunteer at the Dorothy Menzies Child Center and became a member of the Board of Governors in 1996. She currently serves as the Treasurer. Ms. Echols is the mother of two sons and seven grandchildren.
CHRISTILINE GARCIA
Secretary of the Board of Governors
Mrs. Christiline Garcia was born in Belize City, Belize in 1955. She pursued a teaching career from September 1977 to December 1984. She taught with both the Methodist and Catholic managements and also served as the Vice Principal of the St. Martin’s de Porres School for the last three years of her teaching career. She earned her Trained Teachers Diploma with Distinction in 1981 from The Belize Teachers’ College.
In 1985 Mrs. Garcia went to work with the Belize Telecommunications Authority which is now the Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL). She started as a Billing Clerk and at the time of leaving she was the Personnel Officer. During her time at BTL she earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Belize.
Mrs. Garcia is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Crime Stoppers Belize, and a member of the International Women’s Club. In 2005 she joined the Board of Governors of the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center and serves as the Secretary. Mrs. Garcia is married and has one daughter, one son and one granddaughter.
