Message from the Co-Presidents
We are trying something new in the leadership structure of CMN. As of October 2016, CMN has not one but two Presidents: Katherine Dines
and
David Heitler-Klevans are now Co-Presidents of this wonderful organization. David figured that we have been moving towards shared leadership in other aspects of CMN, such as Regional Co-Coordinators, so why not try this at the presidential level? After all, CMN is all about sharing!
We have both been involved in CMN for many years, since the early '90s, and we have both been on the CMN Board for a number of years now--Katherine is actually one of the few CMNers who has served on the Board at two separate times in CMN's history. We are excited to take on the leadership of CMN at this time. We feel that we have a particularly good batch of Board members at the moment, including quite a few brand-new people who are bringing new skills, ideas, and energy to our organization.
We have set some exciting goals for 2017. At the heart is the issue of diversity. How can CMN as an organization connect with more diverse populations (in terms of race/ethnicity, age, geographic location, etc.) and attract more members? As part of the CMN Advisory Board, Jessica Smith and Alina Celeste are forming a group to work with the Membership Committee of the Board to come up with new ideas and strategies. The Board is currently planning a retreat with a facilitator so we can learn skills and share ideas on how to do this more effectively, and all committees can set goals with diversity in mind.
The Membership Committee is exploring new programs that will afford organizations without sufficient budget to have membership in our community. We are also working on initiating a Mentor program, led by new Board member Bruce O'Brien, to extend the resource-sharing that happens at the Conference to interactions year-round. We have become increasingly aware of the fact that YOU are CMN's most valuable resource, and that CMNers are wonderfully willing to share their skills and knowledge with others. This is often what draws new members into CMN, and what makes them want to stay engaged.
Our marketing team, headed up by new Board member
Alica Burba, has plans to extend our reach with a targeted social media program, marketing our impressive online journal
Pass It On! through our new Online Subscription option, and outreach to help make this year's conference the best attended ever. And new Board member Dennis Ronberg has taken on the role of overseeing our Business Sponsor program. If you have any businesses your think might want to participate, make sure to reach out.
Executive Board member Lisa Heintz and volunteer members Marla Lewis
and Theresa Jones-Heintz
are preparing our Song Library's next collection of wonderful songs, which will provide even more resources for our members. In keeping with our theme for the year, the new multicultural songbook is all about diversity, featuring songs in various languages and music that celebrates all peoples.
We are actively searching for songs, so be sure to submit!
The Fundraising Committee is on a roll with three new active members: Tim Seston, Valerie Smalkin, and Jenny Murphy. They are busily creating innovative plans for generating more income, as well as seeking various grants for scholarships, the Song Library, and this year's international conference.
We'll be sponsoring at least one screening of Imba Means Sing and hopefully more.
And as always...the highlight of the year is our 2017 International Conference in Hyannis, MA, Oct 13-15. The theme of the conference this year is "All the Way Around the World" (music and lyrics by Katherine Dines), which will serve as the rallying cry for all our efforts. Conference Co-Chairs
Kim Wallach and Diana Kane are already at work planning a super event, so make sure to put it on your calendar.
