I was thinking about doing my part for BCHW. Last year, when Bob told me he didn’t plan to run again, I had to

start my own planning. Should I run? If elected, what would I try to keep the same, and what would I want to change?

Bob has led this organization in an outstanding fashion.  He seems to have an intuitive sense for what BCHW should

be, while I have to analyze the facts and ask for lots of opinions  to get to the same place. Fortunately, we have some really

sharp directors, committee chairs, and other members who have been willing to give me their perspectives.

When the Board of Directors elected me president on December 5th, I told them some things I want to focus upon:

• Continuity of programs and actions.

• Stronger partnerships with other organizations, including demonstration activities (think joint work parties!).

• Improve effectiveness by better communications.

• Educate our membership on topics related to our mission.

• More and better public relations on our mission and activities (those demonstration projects!).

• Rely on input and consensus from BCHW experts in all parts of Washington State.

How can we possibly make this happen? Well, I’m not worried about support from the Board of Directors. They

consistently exercise due diligence (the legal term for “make thoughtful decisions”) and provide the energy for making

BCHW successful. And we have some of the most outstanding committee chairs! But we have to mobilize the energy

from our members – not just to work on chapter projects, but also to work on statewide initiatives. Our members are our

greatest resource, and we need to capitalize on that to realize our mission. Let’s keep those trails OPEN