The year comes to an end. So does my term as President of PNWS. It’s been an unanticipated 3-year adventure. I took on the role in February 2020, just a month before the pandammit hit the fan. All the plans the Board had carefully prepared went sideways. And, not long after that, some of our Board Members went sideways as well to deal with more immediate life issues.
I’ve always been a huge advocate for change and innovation. And, here was a plateful of opportunity to manage both. We scrambled. We reassessed. We went Zoom to stay connected. We built and launched a new web site. We raised funds for the site and for ongoing operations. We filled vacancies on the Board with new, energetic participants. We hosted our first and second virtual shows. We lost a number of members and gained nearly as many new ones.
So, it has been an adventure. The rewards have outweighed the frustrations. I leave this position with the organization in better shape financially, with more energy and more potential. Leadership will pass to Andy Kennedy whose familiarity with our volunteer resources and his fresh ideas will create new opportunities for everyone to participate and reap the benefits of interaction.
I will continue to put the newsletter together and contribute to the Board for one more year. I mostly look forward to more studio time and more time to directly interact with artists and friends. The support I’ve had over the past 3 years from members and past Board members has made this time much more productive and enjoyable. Thank you to all for your support, encouragement and advice.