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I rarely pass up an opportunity to comment on things in which I am involved and, having been invited by Karen to present a column, here goes. It has been approximately six months since I moved into the President's chair which had been previously filled by such dedicated people as Ralph Young and Jim Campbell. It was fortunate timing for me because there was momentum in the direction of Board involvement in fundraising, and a groundswell of sentiment in favor of trying to find the funds to create a full-time position for Executive Director. I am happy to report that the momentum has continued and even increased: we have a full-time Executive Director as of July 1. Carol Anders Riggs was the unanimous choice of our Search Committee after reviewing approximately 60 resumes and interviewing 9 of the top candidates. We were all gratified with the quality of the written responses and with everyone we interviewed, all of whom showed great strengths which would be beneficial to the Nature Center. However, we could only choose one, and the one we chose brings to us a great deal of experience in marketing, development, communications and fiscal management, a great combination of skills for this job. And she obtained most of this experience while working with our landlord, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. We believe it is a perfect match of our needs at this time. Most importantly, she is enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with us in our growth and further development. Like all of us who are drawn to the work of the Fair Hill Environmental Foundation, Carol Anders Riggs demonstrates a great love for environmental education and preservation. I cannot leave this subject without expressing my appreciation for the quality and enthusiasm of all our staff. Karen Aspinwall, who resigned as our part-time Executive Director in the Fall, has done all we have asked of her through this transitional period and done it well. She and Education Director, Holly Hannum, have borne the burden of extra duties in keeping the program going without missing a beat. And, of course, Sue, our Administrative Assistant, and the rest of the Education staff, our devoted teachers, make this Nature Center the wonderful jewel it has become. We have a solid, successful foundation upon which we will be able to build even greater things. A big part of our hope for the full-time position was that we could increase development (funds and cooperative arrangements) which would allow us to add and even improve programs. We believe we have found the right person to help us get there. --Dennis Clower, President |
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Habitats - Summer 2000 PDF |
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