| Farewell from Judy Belcher |
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| President's Letter | |||
| Written by Judy Belcher | |||
| Wednesday, 31 December 2008 13:30 | |||
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 Synergy was a huge undertaking and, from all accounts, was a great success. It was a new direction for a conference for us and could not have been more skillfully spearheaded. Maggie Maggio had the vision and desire to move us to new heights, and that was shown in her dedication and time to the conference planning. Among many other things, Maggie was also integral in the selection process for our new executive director, Kathy Reynolds. It entailed months of coordination – identifying candidates, resume reading, interview scheduling and follow-up…and Maggie was the driving force that kept the process (and talkative Board members) on track.I participated in the phone interviews, and one thing was repeated over and over again: high praise for our Web site. I have a deep appreciation for the work that Barbara Forbes Lyons has tirelessly given to the IPCA and knew it was important to our membership - but really hadn’t thought about how we appeared to the outside art community. How rewarding for Barbara that people outside our small group see us as “exciting,” “progressive,” and “dynamic.” She honestly has the best interest of each of you in mind every time she works on our site to make it better. Barbara is the heart of our Web site, and she has a special place in my heart. Julie Picarello is our soul. She brings her words (and with deepest gratitude, my words) and breathes vibrant life into all she pens for the IPCA. The woman has extraordinary talent not only in the studio but at the keyboard as well. I have confidence that our new Executive Director will bring fresh ideas and an able hand to the position that has been so wonderfully filled by Tammy Honaman. Tammy has devoted herself to the betterment of our group over the past year and a half. She filled her valuable “spare” time (she works full time for Fire Mountain Gems and is raising two wonderful teenagers) working on the monthly newsletter, sending out press releases, communicating with the membership and other arts organizations and anything else we threw her way. She is a talented artist and a giving soul with a generous heart. I value her friendship and look forward to many more adventures with her. I can tell you from personal experience that when asking for volunteers for any organization the treasurers job is always the last hand to go up. Ronalyn Hurley raised her hand and filled that position beautifully. It is usually the most overlooked position, but one that is critically important. Ronalyn brought to the job her honesty and timeliness. What I will value much more than her ability to tackle finances head on is her wit and humor and grace while doing it. I have made a life-long friend. There are people who come into your life that make you wonder how you ever got along without them. Marcia Laska is one of those people. I met Marcia well before we began working together on the board and she is the reason I agreed to run for the office. I knew I would have an honest critic, a helpful hand, a wise counsel, a witty wordsmith and a true friend. It made the prospect of the job much less daunting. Elizabeth Bonura brought to the board the young and fresh perspective that is often needed to shake things up. She was the first person to introduce the board to the world of ETSY and kept us updated on the progress of polymer on that site. She is a wonderful sculptor and I wish her many successes in her business. I thank Gayle Thompson, Cindy Silas, Barbara Forbes-Lyons and Julie Picarello who are remaining on the board, and have given of themselves in countless ways to make each and every project a success. Their input has been invaluable and will surely continue to make the IPCA more exciting in the coming years. Speaking of exciting, 2009 will bring another first for the IPCA – a formal strategic planning meeting in February, attended by outgoing as well as incoming board members. Consider it a “polymer think tank”…an opportunity for ideas to be shared, discussed and organized. We are preparing a survey for the membership to gather all your ideas so they can be included in this planning meeting. Your input is necessary and valued as we come together to chart our future. As I close this farewell message, I have two last thoughts to share. I want to let you know that I will be following in the wonderful footsteps of Diane Villano, who so generously helped smooth my path into the Presidency two years ago. I will remain on the Board in an advisory capacity, available to assist as needed but promising to keep my opinions to myself unless specifically asked for them. Really. And lastly, I feel so strongly that in these frightening economic times, it is more important than ever to come together and feel a sense of community. I hope that as you read this, you might consider joining, renewing or inviting a friend to join the IPCA along with you. These are the best times to focus on that which brings you joy and nurtures your creative side and to share that joyfulness with others. With heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to serve the International Polymer Clay Association, Judy Belcher
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As I prepare to hand over the reins to incoming IPCA President Suzanne Ivester, the events of the past two years are very much on my mind. It has been a wonderful time, filled with new ideas, opportunities and direction for our community. I am proud that we were able to accomplish many of our goals, and I have great confidence that the momentum will continue in the capable hands of Suzanne and the new Board.© 2011 International Polymer Clay Association