So Long, and Thanks for All the Birds…
By Jeff Hullstrung
It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as the President of the Green Mountain Audubon Society for the past five years. I am writing to let our community know that I am relocating abroad and will be leaving the Green Mountain Audubon Society in good hands. Pat Phillips will be stepping into the role of president. Lucie Lehmann will be stepping into the role of vice president. These changes will take effect on November 1, 2024.
I served on the GMAS board for a few years before my predecessor and mentor, Bruce MacPherson, suggested that I consider serving as president. It seemed like a good fit for my skills and interests so I quickly agreed. Bruce and I served as co-president for one year, allowing Bruce time to show me the ropes. In January 2020 I assumed the role of president.
My tenure began shortly before the COVID pandemic brought pain and change to our world. Our organization adapted to the restrictions that public health authorities imposed, quickly finding the power of Zoom to conduct our board meetings virtually to keep things moving forward. Our evening educational program series quickly transitioned to Zoom, allowing us to continue delivering content to our community. It also expanded our community a bit geographically, enabling attendees to join from any location with an internet connection and allowing us to use presenters located nearly any place on Earth. When in-person outings were allowed, we used pre-registration to limit the number of participants in order to comply with public health guidelines. In general, we did our best to keep people connected and keep people healthy. COVID will remain a concern, but hopefully not on the level experienced in past years.
I have had the pleasure to serve on a board of directors comprised of caring people. Board members step in to help wherever needed without needing to be asked. Thanks to the excellent reputation that GMAS has earned over the years, recruiting qualified board members is relatively easy, although we are always looking for a few new members with specialized skills such as website development and social media expertise. If you are interested in learning more about serving on the board, please reach out to Pat Phillips at Phillipspatj@gmail.com. Maintaining adequate staffing levels on the board helps to avoid burnout. GMAS has a long history of partnering with other local organizations, which enables the GMAS team to leverage other skills, notably with our partners at Vermont Audubon.
I am sending a big thanks to everyone who has served on the board with me. A great team makes all the difference! I am also sending a big thanks to our membership and other community members for participating in our programs, for joining our outings, and for providing financial support. You enable our all-volunteer organization to have a positive impact on our community in support of birds and their human admirers. I look forward to seeing many of you when I return to visit Vermont.