Common Raven - Photo: Dow Lambert 

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

July— August 2024

by Ken Wiersema

OPAS scholarships.

Please read the article in the July—August Harlequin Happenings newsletter by Dee Renee Ericks and Rhonda Coats about the award of our 1st scholarships for local high school seniors. Thanks to the initiative of Tom Butler, with the recommendations from our scholarship committee, and the stellar work of Rhonda and Dee Renee to put together a special presentation certificate, we awarded four, $1000 dollar scholarships to deserving local graduates. We awarded these in the name of and in honor of Kendra Donelson, one of our past Presidents and Board members. We received donations from her family toward these awards. In addition to helping these students finance their education in the natural sciences, we also want to plant a seed for their future understanding and support of our objectives and dedication to protecting and restoring the natural world. In expectation that in generations to come, they will give it back to the younger generations behind them. In order to continue awarding these scholarships, we’ll be setting up a sustaining program that will fund them into the future. OPAS leaders will be providing you the details of how you may make a dedicated donation to sustain and hopefully grow a fuller, county-wide scholarship program.

News from the River Center

The River Center Board, including its OPAS members will soon be interviewing the final candidates for the Executive Director position of the Center. We should expect an announcement of the new ED in July. This week we also learned that a new Communications Coordinator has been hired to join the Center’s staff. We look forward to working with Tracy Sheldon, as she steps into this role. Welcome Tracy! And thank you to Annette Nesse, who has been the Interim Director of the Center, while the hiring process attains its goals. The River Center Board is also launching work on development of a new 5-year Strategic Plan. Their goal is to have the plan completed by October of this year. Deborah Jensen, the recently retired Executive Director of Audubon Washington, has been contracted to be the facilitator for the Plan’s development. A full, new appraisal of the Center’s mission, objectives, resourcing, and programs, together with metrics to evaluate the plan’s progress are in the offing.

OPAS leadership

As many of you know, I will be retiring from being President on 30 June. The Board and our nominating committee have yet to determine who will perform the full set of the President’s duties. Their intent is to make an announcement by our next newsletter in September. The Board will be meeting at its annual retreat in August, where the President’s duties will likely be redistributed to an array of Board members. We’ll ask for your patience and support as we work through our transition period. We have a strong, capable, and experienced Board; I’m certain that we’ll attain success.

Jim Gift (1942-2024)

During final edits to this edition, the sad news of Jim’s sudden passing reached me. He was one of our past presidents and Board members. He and Audrey were 2014 Harlequin Awardees. As a superb, well-traveled bird photographer and artist Jim generously shared his passion with us. We extend our condolences to Audrey and Jim’s family. He was a much valued and treasured friend. As his family plans the dates and events to mark his death, we will advise you via our website.

Thanks

As I step away from being your President, I express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the support you, our members, have extended to me in the operations of OPAS. I will continue to treasure the respect and friendship you’ve shown me over the some 30 years I’ve been part of OPAS leadership. I’ll continue to serve on the Board as the Immediate Past President through June of 2025. From there, who can forecast what the future holds? Thanks to our Board for tolerating my mistakes and cartoons. I wish you much fun and -- Good Birding !