Dear Colleagues,
At the January 29 AGM, the following slate was elected to the Executive Board for the Vancouver Branch of the BCRMTA. As the newly minted President I would like to introduce and welcome to all volunteers.
• President: Barbara Siemens
• Vice-President: Hailey Wong
• Past President: Jammy Smith
• Treasurer: Karin Wang
• Recording Secretary: Drema Chuang
• Corresponding Secretary: Cindy Leung
• Student Teachers Auxiliary Liaison: Dr. Carla Dodek
• Newsletter Editor: Hailey Wong
• Student Recital Convenor: Haiwa Ye
• Program Convenor: Keiko Alexander
• Bursary Convenor: Carol Hung
• Archivist – Blair Galston
• Members at Large: Kathryn Rowe, Nancy Chang
• Webmaster: Barbara Siemens
Over the past twenty-six years, I have had the pleasure of working on the Vancouver Executive in various positions including phone referral liaison, program convenor, treasurer, recording secretary, and most recently bursary convenor. As president, I now hope to put my past experience to good use and I thank the membership for placing their trust in me. I will do my best to uphold the high standards expected. I would also like to express my appreciation to the new board for volunteering for our organization, I look forward to working with all of them. Finally, there is the hard work and dedication of the retiring board to acknowledge. They have done an amazing job and many of the projects in the coming months and years would not have been possible without their efforts.
The Executive Board will have its first full meeting in mid-February and at that time we will discuss a host of projects and events. Details will be forth coming but in the interim know that these important topics are on the agenda: restructuring the SPG for sustainability; the purchase of a Branch piano for use by members and their students; professional development topics for meetings; additions and corrections to the new website; Canada Music Week celebration for November; and more. There is much to be done and it will take some time to organize so we ask for your patience as we get used to our new roles.
Remember to check the website bcrmta.org for monthly bulletins and watch your email inbox for announcements!
In the meantime, I encourage all members to consider how the Vancouver Branch can become a stronger organization. If there are topics you would like to see at the professional development sessions, let us know. If you are interested in helping out, even in a small way, let us know. If you see a gap that your expertise could fill, let us know. Every effort will enhance the organization and at the same time give you an opportunity to meet and network with other members of our community.
I look forward to this new challenge and will hopefully meet many of you over the next year.
Respectfully,
Barbara Siemens
President