Greetings from Your New Board President

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Happy New Year! Our fiscal year started July 1, and with that, we say good-bye to President Nils Pedersen, Vice-President Rob Wamstad, and member-at-large Pam Daly.  Nils, Rob, and Pam: we cannot thank you enough for your fine service to QUUF. We also welcome three new Board members – David Covert, Frances Loubere, and Virginia Nixon.

This new year’s Board officers will be: Colleen Johnson, President; Terry Copeland, Vice President; Karl Bach, Secretary; and Penny Ridderbusch, Treasurer; along with returning members-at-large Roger Delmar and Gary Nelson. Brief bios are here on the website if you wish more information about the team who represent you this coming year.

As incoming president, I’d like to share this story to give you some insight into my leadership principles and how I hope to serve. One of the joys of my life was teaching, from 1989-1998, a three-month leadership training course for 60 high school students – four each from the fifteen high schools in Flint and Genesee County, Michigan.  These were not student council presidents or Boys or Girls State representatives, but informal leaders nominated by their teachers.

We had sessions on communications, listening and empathy, group consensus techniques, running effective meetings, decision-making and problem-solving, planning and goal-setting, and conflict resolution. We had a speaker on racism and the power of diversity. We did a three-day retreat that involved a ropes course, lots of team-building activities, plenty of food, not much sleep, and the chance to put into practice what they had learned. I had a wonderful youth staff of previous year’s alumni who passed along what they had learned.

The main messages were these:

  • You don’t have to be the one with the gavel to lead. You can influence by your passion, commitment, and hard work without being in charge. And your willingness to volunteer.
  • You can develop the confidence and flexibility to know that you will be all right, no matter what the situation, and we will give you the chance to practice.
  • You don’t have to have all the ideas or all the answers – that’s what your team is for. Listen deeply and respectfully.
  • It is OK to be make mistakes. We learn much more from our failures than from our successes.
  • Above all, the more diverse a group is, the stronger it will be.

I taught them what had worked for me, both in my professional life and as a music director. These are still a part of me, and you may notice them at work in the coming year.  I pledge to do my best.  Please know that we are here to love, to share, to serve.

Colleen Johnson

7 Responses to “Greetings from Your New Board President”

  1. May events prove better than envisioned, I hope if you were not already aware the below will help.

    Getting To Yes, Rodger Fisher, William Ury
    Roger Fisher Better Way to Negotiate, Part 1
    Getting Past NO: Negotiating in Difficult Situations William Ury
    Getting Together:Building a Relationship That Gets To Yes, Rodger Fisher and Scott Brown
    Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate

  2. Great experience and intentions! you go Colleen!
    (miss you at the meditation caring circle, but sure see all you’re doing for us all)

  3. Congratulations, Coleen, on your new leadership role in these challenging times.
    Our Board members are doing a great job of keeping us abreast of the changes
    and keeping us in the virtual loop.
    Warm regards,
    Terri Teas

  4. Congrats to you Madam President. I ditto the comments from Kristen about this being a difficult time; but having had 6 months of experience with it – I can also tell you it can be incredibly rewarding. Good luck to you and to your Board –

  5. These are not easy or even normal times…this board will of necessity serve in an extremely difficult time for all of us. I encourage ANY of us who have specialized skill sets to support our board. Colleen, I urge you and the board to think outside the box. Make a list of what you need and share it with members and friends. We have a talented and diverse and well-educated population in our congregation. Let us help you in this challenging time! Thanks so much to all serving on the board in this challenging time. But dont go it alone! There are several hundred people who want (even need) to help. Reach out.

  6. Thank you Colleen for serving, and all our board members as well. Here’s to a successful and happy new year for our QUUF Community!

  7. Thanks Colleen for this message! Also the newsletter format is now clearer and much easier to read. Good choice.

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