Administrative Director

I was born Gloria Faber at Algona, Iowa, and I grew up on a farm nearby. I graduated from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1970 with a BA in history and elementary education. In 1969 I married Jim Ellwanger of Newell, Iowa. After teaching for five years, becoming a full-time mother to Eric and Marla became my most important work, and I also did some substitute teaching.

Our family moved to San Antonio in 1986. Jim has been a high school, college, and middle school teacher his entire adult life, and he was a baseball coach for twenty-five years. He currently teaches at a high school alternative center in San Antonio and also teaches college classes part-time. Our son, Eric, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and an MPA from University of North Texas in Denton. He is a water department manager with the City of Plano, Texas. Eric and Tara Eslick were married May 19, 2001, at Fort Worth, Texas. They are the parents of Allison Mary Ellwanger born August 12, 2006 and Megan Elizabeth Ellwanger born March 10, 2010. Our daughter, Marla, has been involved in ballet since age four. After graduating early from high school, she trained two years with the Houston Ballet Academy. After dancing professionally with Ballet Arkansas for several years, she retired and started college. She graduated in May 2006 from the University of Arkansas with a degree in history. She married Chad Edwards in October 2003. They are the parents of Chad’s daughter, Rene, born in 1996, Austin Lee Edwards born May 11, 2006, and Ella Chandler Edwards born May 22, 2010.

My outside interests include family history, (which I have been doing for more years than I wish to reveal!), stitching, archiving and antiques. Jim and I have a great time spending time with our grandchildren and working our small antiques business.

I began working for The Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society as Administrative Director in July of 1994, and I was the Registry's first employee. Jannine (president and founder of the Registry) and I had been friends for several years, having met at the San Antonio Needlework Guild in 1987. Later she asked me to begin working for The Registry. (By the way, we are still friends, though we don't have time for stitching or antiquing!)

I especially enjoy interacting with the Registry's families, and I care deeply about the mission of the Registry. I am grateful I have a part to play in the work being done for the children and adults with chromosome 18 anomalies.