Bob McKechnie
Founder / Coordinator
Bob, a long-time resident of Cathedral City, went through a mind-changing experience early in life when he heard a university professor speak out against the Vietnam War. From then on, he opposed war but never acted on that point of view. Retirement offered him an opportunity to step into peace activism.
Karen Riley
Founder
Karen runs an organization that offers Cathedral City students an opportunity to advocate for environmentalism by producing art that is shown throughout the community. Environmentalism blends perfectly with peace activism so Karen expanded her vision and joined our venture.
Sue Townsley
Founder
Sue is a master administrator and communicator. She knows how to put things together and make them function perfectly. Her background as an administrator for one of the most prestigious universities in Southern California made her a perfect fit for some of the more challenging administrative tasks.
These three people came together in early 2022 to prepare and submit an application for the designation to be an “International City of Peace” to an organization called International Cities of Peace. The Cathedral City application was approved in June, 2022, and we joined 360 other cities with the designation. At this point our activities are focused on convincing people that it is possible and desirable to enjoy a peaceful world.