EWI of Spokane News

If spring had a particular emotion assigned to it, I think it would be hope. There is something about the end of winter, days with more light than dark, the song of birds in the early morning that makes it very difficult to resist the sense that something good is right around the corner. In fact, it is right in front of us.

Raise your hand if you have way too much on your plate lately. Wow. That is a lot of us. I had a feeling I was not the only one feeling more than a little overwhelmed by life. No matter the industry, it just seems like there are not enough of us to do all the work that still needs to be done. And that’s not even counting all of our non-work obligations: family, exercise, community groups. When did “self-care” become on our to-do lists instead of something on our get-to lists?

Let’s take a minute to reflect on the leaders in our lives, as well as the people we love—the people who who have made us who we are.

I am writing this month’s message on New Year’s Day. And so, I find myself in a reflective mood—grateful the lessons and joy of 2023, and excited for what 2024 may bring.

My favorite holiday story is The Gift of the Magi. This is the tale of a young couple who each sell their most prized possession, so that they could give the other the perfect Christmas gift. Della sells her glorious cascade of hair to buy Jim a platinum chain for his grandfather’s gold pocket watch; and Jim sells his watch to buy tortoise shell combs for Della’s hair. From the opening line of “One dollar and eighty-seven cents“ to the moment when O. Henry tells us “these foolish children” gave the wisest of gifts, I am entranced by this classic tale of selflessness.

We preserve what we are grateful for. That was the closing message of one of the podcasts I listen to. The host and his guest were discussing the erosion in trust in our public institutions. The host opined on a number of factors at work, but what stuck with me was the host’s closing comments about the importance of institutions on civil society, and the general lack of gratitude for them as one possible reason for their disjunction. His closing line, “We preserve what we are grateful for”, has stuck with me, because I see it in the many institutions I am a part of.

As we step into the month of September, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of serving as the EWI Chapter President over the past year. It has been a remarkable journey filled with profound lessons, personal growth, and the invaluable bonds that make our EWI community so extraordinary.

As we step into the month of September, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of serving as the EWI Chapter President over the past year. It has been a remarkable journey filled with profound lessons, personal growth, and the invaluable bonds that make our EWI community so extraordinary.

As we enter the month of August, I cannot help but reflect on the wonderful evening we had at our July Chapter Meeting, hosted by our esteemed EWI past presidents. It was truly a night to remember, filled with inspiration, camaraderie, and laughter. Thank you all for making it such a memorable and fun-filled event!

June is upon us, and it brings with it the warmth of summer and the excitement of a new season. As we reflect on the past month, I cannot help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude for the success of our chapter meeting and scholarship celebration.

June is upon us, and it brings with it the warmth of summer and the excitement of a new season. As we reflect on the past month, I cannot help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude for the success of our chapter meeting and scholarship celebration.

As we approach our May chapter meeting, I am excited to celebrate our upcoming scholarship celebration! This is a time for us to come together and recognize the hard work and dedication of our scholarship recipients. These young scholars are the future leaders of our community, and we are proud to support their education and career goals.

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow. On April 17, 1979, EWI of Spokane became the 73rd chapter to charter with Executive Women International, a national organization already built on decades upon decades of firms and member representatives dedicated to leadership development and community impact.

This month is Women’s History Month, where we celebrate the countless women who have fought tirelessly and courageously for equality, justice, and opportunity in our nation.

Thank you to Jene Ray, Northeast Community Center for hosting our January Chapter meeting. It was a wonderful meeting and reminded me just how important the mission of EWI is. Promoting member firms, enhancing personal and professional development, and encouraging community involvement.

The past year was full of ups, downs, and sideways. I often find stepping into a new year brings a breath of fresh air. As I reflect on 2022, I found myself smiling, thinking of all that our Chapter has accomplished and given back to our community. The past year was filled with wonderful events, meetings, and real connections made.

As our November guest speaker Larry Krauter taught us, I’ve taken on a new meaning of the term bleasure: business, and leisure. The idea of mixing business trips and events with leisure sounds like something we all need more of, especially as we enjoy the holidays this season with family and friends.

I’m not sure about you, but the last meeting had me energized right from the beginning, with a wonderful inspiration by Elizabeth Arnold from Avista. She spoke so eloquently about perseverance and the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

If I’ve learned one thing over the past few years, it’s this: when life slows down, I feel a greater pull to fill my time with priorities that genuinely mean something to me. Am I spending time and energy on emotionally draining things or restoring my zest and compassion for life?

It feels surreal to me that this is my final President’s Message. I started to re-read my earlier letters, and what emerged was a common denominator. The natural guess would be EWI – what business we were attending to, important reminders, organizational necessities, and other timely updates. Everything that you would expect. And you would be right.