Category: Letter from the President

I’ve just returned home from an impromptu 24-hour visit to Seattle. It was a blur of a day with my husband’s family, but a rare visit by two nephews gave us (nearly 25 of us) an informal reason to come together and spend time. 

While unusually wet and rainy this year in the Inland NW, during the 4th of July holiday weekend, people across America gathered to eat, drink, laugh, celebrate and enjoy their freedom; unselfishly provided to us by a countless number of brave souls, past and present. As I sat down to write this article, my memories drifted to the friends and family that have served this country gallantly, including both of my grandfathers, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, and my own father. I thought about the word “freedom” – what it means to me, to my family and to this community.

I don’t know about most of you, but lately, I find myself more often than not saying, “I can’t believe it’s June already! Where has the first half of this year gone?” In conversations, it feels like we are all being pulled in so many directions. Between our personal and professional lives, we’ve had our head down (maybe to avoid all of the rain this spring), relentlessly pushing forward just to keep up. I know I have.

May is a special month. For Spokane, a sense of normalcy covered the town as Bloomsday returned in-person, renewing nostalgic feelings of community. In the days following, we celebrated teachers for the profound impact they have had on young lives.

Birth. Death. Celebration. Remembrance. Anniversary.

It may not come as a surprise, but in the dictionary, the word anniversary translates to “the date on which an event took place in a previous year.” Of course, that’s true, but in my opinion, it’s an awfully dry explanation for a much more powerful meaning.

If last month’s amazing scholarship banquet taught me anything it is that investing in people—young people as well as people young at heart—is always the right thing to do. And that’s what EWI does. We invest not only in students who are setting the world on fire, but we are actively investing in each other and in this great community.

February is the month of love! Plato classified the love of friends and equals as Philia, and that describes our chapter so beautifully. Many start their EWI journey for strictly business reasons, and they stay in EWI because of the close relationships that they form. I, for one, am so grateful for the experience I’ve gained through EWI, but even more grateful for the people I have met.

2021 is here! We have all been ready for 2020 to end. I have so much hope for the upcoming year. While we all know that it will take some time for things to get back to “normal,” I have no doubt that 2021 will be better. But, for some of our member firms and representatives, the economic realities of today are very challenging. Now, more than ever, we need to live out our EWI mission of bringing together key individuals from diverse businesses for the purpose of: promoting member firms, enhancing personal and professional development, and encouraging community involvement.

As we come to the close of 2020, I am reminded of the fragility of life, health, and economic stability. I am also encouraged by the resiliency of human beings and our capacity for hope. Our Chapter representatives have experienced a lot of loss this year. It is comforting to know that belonging to an organization like EWI is a positive and important factor in our resiliency. We are social creatures, and being a part of a community like EWI is good for our mental health, in addition to being good for business. Even introverts like me benefit greatly by having strong connections and through focusing on helping others.      

Did anyone else’s mood soar while Dr. Aaron McMurray addressed our scholarship winners last month? He exuded positivity and it was contagious.  I’m so grateful we have people like him in our world to bring hope and enthusiasm.  Personally, I tend to fall on the pragmatic spectrum and I have to actively work on positivity. This year it seems especially challenging to be optimistic with the pandemic and with election fever all around.

A Zoom meeting for the board installation? Check. A Zoom meeting for the board retreat and training? Check. A Zoom meeting coming up for our Scholarship Banquet? Check. With so many Zoom meetings, it was emotionally fulfilling to visit with some of our representatives at Beacon Hill Catering & Events last week. This event refilled my proverbial cup and I think it was the same for everyone who attended. The sun shined and smiles beamed as we enjoyed each other’s company.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve this year; your kindness has been overwhelming. The dedication and love you all have for our EWI of Spokane Chapter and each other is simply heartwarming. I hope as we wrap up our EWI year, you are inspired to keep doing great things for this chapter and for YOU!

What a wonderful zoom meeting and scavenger hunt this past month – thank you to our programs committee! It was joy to see all of your beautiful smiles and laughter filling the screen!

Love the space you’re in… it will inspire you and uplift you!

Everywhere around us right now, there are signs — signs of love, sharing hope, togetherness — it sure does make the tough times more bearable.