During this season of flying caps and tassels, I’ve been a soupy, sentimental mess. In the last month, I’ve watched my son graduate from college and my daughter graduate from high school. My eyes are swollen and puffy, I’m tired of entertaining visiting family members, and I’ve gained ten pounds from eating too much cake.
But I will soon well up with pride again, as I witness the graduation of our beloved NSNC mascot, Alex.
When I became President of NSNC two years ago, my tendency was to see things through a mother’s eyes. I have believed that my role is to nurture and grow NSNC. I’ve always felt that NSNC’s Board is a kind of family – an eclectic, dedicated collection of mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles – there to guide Alex to professional success.
There’s Telly Halkias, our Secretary. A retired Army colonel, Uncle Telly has kept us all in line, forcing us to snap-to so Board meetings don’t run late into the night. Papa Jerry Zezima, our Past President, has taken every opportunity for a joke or pun, but always offers sound advice and sage wisdom. One of NSNC’s founding fathers, Mike Leonard served as President before taking his current role as Education Chair. With dry humor and old-school wisdom, Mike reminded us all of NSNC’s prestige in the industry while bringing in major sponsorships.
There’s Aunt Kathy Eliscu, our Treasurer, whose sweet disposition and sharp wit helped us sort through the numbers to find a successful path. Uncle Mike Morin served as Vice President and 2017 Conference Chair, with good cheer, boundless energy, and an unprecedented contribution of liquor for the hospitality suite! Chris Carosa, our current Vice President, took over courageously when Mike had to step down, offering much-needed financial expertise and a careful, analytical approach.
Uncle Dave Astor, our Archivist, has been the Board’s secret weapon for many years. Along with his amazing connections in the journalism industry that have provided us with countless top-tier conference speakers, Dave has written scores of features for The Columnist and saved us all by serving as Copy Editor. Uncle Brian Thompson, our Contest Chair, brought an injection of youthful energy to our Board, successfully implementing a complete overhaul of our Annual Columnist Contest which we will benefit from for many years to come. Auntie Dorothy Rosby, our Membership Chair, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reach hundreds of new industry contacts and spread the word about how great it is to be a member of NSNC. Uncle Rick Horowitz, our At-Large Board Member, offered smart analysis and thorough research to help NSNC form a vision for future fundraising.
And then, there are two women, mothers themselves, who did more than any of us combined to guide Alex’s recent metamorphosis – Bonnie Jean Feldkamp and Suzette Martinez Standring.
Alex was the new kid on the block when NSNC was founded in 1977, and had several wildly successful decades while younger. But when I came on the scene, Alex was becoming a bit of an unruly college coed, struggling to conform to the demands of the Digital Age. Alex needed a change. Alex needed to wake up earlier, stop eating cold pizza for breakfast, and show up for class. Our Board family gave Alex some tough love – upsetting the status quo with major administrative, procedural, and promotional upheaval for NSNC.
We asked Bonnie Jean Feldkamp to expand her role, and serve as a new Communications Director for NSNC. But Bonnie took it upon herself to shatter all expectations, transforming The Columnist into an even better online magazine, modernizing and expanding our social media platform, revamping our website, working closely with Contest and Membership Chairs, and honing NSNC’s unique brand. And if that weren’t enough work to keep her insanely busy, Bonnie has also served as 2018 Conference Chair, expertly planning and producing th e first “sold out” event in NSNC history. And, unbelievably, Mama Bonnie did it all with her sweet toddler, Ezra, by her side.
We also brought in longtime member and Past President Suzette Martinez Standring as Executive Director to help us mother Alex to the next level. There isn’t enough room in this President’s Message to list what Suzette has accomplished for NSNC. She is tough, ethical, meticulous, energetic, practical, professional, and intelligent. Thanks to her administration, NSNC has grown by leaps and bounds in less than two years.
Partnering with Bonnie and Suzette has been the best work dynamic I have experienced in my entire career. Perhaps because we are each mothers ourselves, we didn’t have time for nonsense. We simply got things done. I’m both humbled and honored to have worked with these incredible women for the last two years.
To our entire Board family, thank you. Congratulations for guiding Alex t hrough his coming-of-age to a new level of modern maturity, all while preserving NSNC’s professional prestige and unique sense of humor.
We did it!
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