About
About
BOARD MEMBERS
Simone Homann-Tomlin
Secretary of the Board
Simone is Armin's oldest daughter, and mother to Alexis and Anthony. One of Armin’s favorite stories he would always tell was that he was so excited for his first baby, he waited outside of the hospital room door with a pair of baby soccer shoes. Simone attended Northwestern Business College, and is now an admissions evaluator at National Louis University. She has also been in retail management for over twenty years.
Her favorite memories of Armin include having breakfast with him every Saturday morning and calling him on her way home from work every night.
Markus Homann
Associate Officer
Markus is the second child of Armin, and father to Christian. He also played soccer for the same team as Armin - Schwaben AC - for over 15 years.
Professionally, Markus has worked in the hospitality field for 19 years, specifically focusing on German restaurants and bars.
Markus shares the same passion for German culture as his dad. He was a part of various German clubs throughout Chicago, specifically the American Aid Society where he was part of the Kindergruppe and Jugendgruppe. As a part of this German dance group he has had the opportunity to travel the world to such places as Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Brazil to compete with other ethnic dance groups. He also had the unique opportunity to be a part of the opening ceremony for the 1994 World Cup, representing Germany.
Some of his favorite memories with Armin include watching soccer together, having Armin accompany him on travel soccer immersion camps in Germany, and also watching him play soccer in Germany.
Carina H. Santa Maria, MSW, LCSW
President of the Armin Homann Foundation
Carina is the youngest daughter of Armin, married to Darrick, and mother to Mateo and Maxwell.
She graduated with her bachelor's degree in psychology and criminology from The University of Tampa in 2007, then pursuing a career at Little City Foundation as well as providing in-home ABA therapy for children on the autism spectrum. In 2011 she received a master's degree in Social Work from Dominican University. Carina is currently the Executive Director of Shelter, inc., a child welfare agency in the Northwest Suburbs.
Prior to her work at Shelter, Inc., she was the Director of Field Education at Dominican University, as well as Community Youth Counselor for Memorial Health Care Systems and partnered with the Broward Sheriff's Office and their juvenile diversion program. She has also served as the Vice President of Education and outreach at the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition, and as a Residential Counselor at Youth Villages in Memphis, TN. In addition, Carina has volunteered with Kristi House - Project GOLD and serves as the Education Director for Traffick Free, a volunteer driven organization that seeks to provide the greater metropolitan area of Chicago with tools and sustainable programs to combat human trafficking and transform the lives of victims, perpetrators, and communities.
Carina was always Armin's number 1 travel partner. Her love for travel and culture came from her dad, who took her along on his many annual trips which included: Panama Canal, the islands in the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, and Oktoberfest.
Darrick Santa Maria
Treasurer of the board
Darrick is a son-in-law of Armin’s, and he is married to Carina. He first met Armin in 2009 when he and Carina first started dating. Armin was very welcoming and friendly to Darrick and the two quickly bonded over beers at Armin’s many German functions. On one of Armin’s cruises, he mistakenly received flowers from Darrick that were intended for Carina. From then on, Armin lovingly nicknamed Darrick, “Honeybunny.” Darrick’s favorite memory of Armin was traveling with him to Germany in 2016 to visit Armin’s family and learning where Armin grew up.
Darrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Darrick has 12 years of experience in the electrical and circuit protection industries and is currently Director of Global Product Management for Littelfuse Inc., headquartered in Chicago, IL. In this role, he is responsible for business segment profitability, business strategy, product development, and pricing. Prior to joining Littelfuse, Darrick was Director of Global Product Management at ABB. He has also held leadership positions in sales, business development, product management, and engineering at Bussmann (Eaton), Mechanical Products, and Thomas & Betts (ABB).
Darrick lives in the NW suburbs of Chicago, and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish. Armin’s affability to strangers, and selfless devotion to family is something Darrick will always remember.
Edward Tomlin
Officer
Edward had the greatest pleasure of meeting Armin through his daughter Simone Homann, whom he later married. He then became known as Farmer Ed.
Edward has an abundance of fond memories of Armin, but the one that sticks out is the day he was building his fence. Armin showed up “in Armin fashion” - unexpectedly and with his opinions! Armin had a key to their house. He came and went at their home as he pleased. Simone and Edward loved that, and when he walked in, he said “Haalloo”. That day he said, “Eddie, the German eye tells me this post isn’t straight.” Edward smiled at that moment and looked and sure enough, he was right. You can imagine the smile on his face, “the German eye is never wrong”. Armin was 64 years old at the time, and he helped with a good portion of keeping the fence posts straight.
Edward attended Triton College and received an Associates Degree in 2006 as well as coached Our Lady of Destiny basketball and volleyball teams. He then worked at Microsoft as the Lead Critical Environment Engineer and is now a real estate investor.
Ed currently resides in Des Plaines with Simone and their children Alexis, and Anthony, and dog Kallie Lin. His fondest memories of Armin will always be their Saturday morning German breakfasts with coffee at his home with Simone, children, and Kallie. This was a staple, a constant. Simone would make the coffee, the children would set the table, and Kallie would be howling because she saw Armin’s car pull up. Armin would walk in the door with chopped turkey sausage for Kallie. “Only the best for her,” he would say. Armin would always bring German sausages, cheese, and rolls. They would all sit, eat, and have great conversation. He was truly one of a kind.
SUPPORT THE ARMIN HOMANN FOUNDATION
Scholarships
Scholarships
Based on need, the Armin Homann Foundation offers scholarships to German-American populations to participate in their athletic, educational, and cultural program opportunities. If you or someone you know qualifies for a scholarship to these programs, please contact: Carina@thearminhomannfoundation.org
The 2024Educational and Cultural Scholarships are here! The deadline is August 1, 2024. Please fill out the forms below. We look forward to supporting you!
Access the 2024 Scholarships here
Soccer Camps
Soccer Camps
The Armin Homann Foundation believes that sports provide an opportunity to do more than just build athletic ability. Access to quality athletic programs can help build character, work ethic, social abilities, teamwork, friendships, and so much more. That’s why the Armin Homann Foundation provides soccer camps to encourage children and engage them in a process of growth and development that will last a lifetime.
Stay tuned for our work regarding soccer camps.