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Volume 6, Number 1 - Fall 2007
Widening the People & Stories Circle of Leaders
by
Patricia Andres
What’s new at People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos? In answer to that question, we often focus on new program developments and models, specifically our Crossing Borders with Literature model that brings urban and suburban participants together using literature, and our Living with Literature/Writing Our Stories model that invites participants to write their own creative responses to the stories and discussions. Our organizational developments, though, are equally important. Our June board of directors meeting brought changes that bear reflection and comment.
Anne Seltzer, who served as board chair for three years, will now become chair of the committee on trustees, and Russell Marks, treasurer, will assume the chairmanship of the board. Georgia Whidden, board member and long-term friend and advocate of People & Stories/ Gente y Cuentos, is now vice chair, Henry Reath will be treasurer, and Margaret Griffin is secretary. We welcome Claire Jacobus and Michelle McKenna to the board, as well as Judy Feldman, who will be chair of the development committee.
Anne’s leadership of People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos was mission-driven, foregrounding the importance of literature in all of our activities. Her range of involvement in organizational activities has been wide and deep. She was a member of the scholarly team for the creation of study guides for short stories in English, preparing questions for discussion that have been distributed to libraries hosting our program nationwide.
Anne also visited and participated in a Crossing Borders with Literature program at Operation Fatherhood, bringing back first-hand experiences to share with board members and supporters. She initiated the board member story discussion and supper that will continue to start our year and made story discussions an integral part of the parlor parties we host for friends and supporters throughout the year.
Recently Anne remarked to board members, “I never really felt that I was the board chair, rather just the organizer among friends and equals. I can’t imagine better people with whom to share a passion for literature and its transforming power.” We are delighted that Anne will continue to work among friends with the charge of widening that circle.
Russell Marks’ first act as chair was to propose a board resolution to open a People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos endowment fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation. As treasurer, Russell has focused on creating a cash reserve for the organization, and his management of the budget has paved the way for what has long been a dream of all members of the organization, the endowment fund.
Russell Marks brings his passion for books to his leadership of People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos, and his involvement has included attending programs where his own creative pieces were the subject of discussions. In planning our board activities for the coming year, Russell’s focus is on vision, programs, strategic planning and organizational infrastructure.
A core aspect of our mission statement, indeed a motto of People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos, is “as they examine the poetics, issues and values the stories explore, people can discover ways to see things differently.” This will remain a constant even as our leadership changes, our board grows and our organization expands.