Happy New Year to the Brain Injury Survivors, Friends, Family and Supporters!
We on the Board of Directors and Advisory Board of Brain Injury Connections Northwest (BIC-NW) wanted to wish you all a terrific new year and catch you up on the activities of the Board. Our Board is comprised of survivors (50%) and those interested in the population and/or are family (50%). The members of the Board include:
- Hannu Laukkanen, President
- Fern Wilgus, Vice President
- Susan Coombes, Treasurer (soon to be Advisory Board)
- Dana Penilton, Secretary
- Teresa Conroy, member
- Kate Robinson, member
- Karl Moritz, Adjunct member
- Chris Ward, member and Social Committee Chair
Learn More about our Board of Directors.
The members of the Advisory Board include:
- Jim Martin
- Jane Parker
- Sarah Key-DeLyria
- Chunming Liu
- Susan Coombes (moving to Advisory Board soon)
In July the Fundraising Gala – ‘Trauma to Triumph’ was well attended and hugely successful. We were able to exceed our goal for funds raised, which will allow us to provide funding for our support groups and social activities, upgrade our computer equipment, support and grow our community center and start the Friends Program once again!
In December we held a catered Christmas party for all the support groups including Brainstormers, Birrdsong, Puertas de Esperanza, Friends and Family and the coffee clutches. Turnout was amazing and we eventually had to kick everyone out because we were all having so much fun! We were also able to facilitate and fund a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and a group to watch the Christmas Ships. It’s so fun to have a little money to allow us all to socialize and enjoy Portland!
We are currently in the process of updating our strategic plan to assure we have long and short term goals that we are working to meet, improve and grow our current survivor programs like the Friends program and assure that we are carrying out our mission to all survivors in the area.
Coming soon:
- We are always looking for suggestions from our survivors as to activities they would like to see happen.
- We are planning our 2020 fund-raiser. Our amazing, lovely Teresa will be pausing to have her FIFTH child and then she will back at the work of planning the gala.
- We are planning our Community Education sessions. Your input as to what you would like to learn is VERY important, so send us suggestions. Right now, we are going to have Dr. Bruce to discuss vision issues for one session.
- Karl is getting ready to launch our Biking Program in the Spring!
- And finally; maybe saving the best for last … we are updating the WEBSITE! With input from survivors and two experts in webpage development we have put together a beautiful webpage. And, if you want anything else on the page please let us know as soon as we roll out this project to you.
Opportunities
We are looking for the following folks and input:
- a new Treasurer of the Board as Susan is retiring. Looking for someone with experience as a bookkeeper, CPA, and/or board treasurer
- a Webmaster to maintain and grow our new Website
- participants for the Friends program to partner with PSU students in an 8-week program of socializing with your partners
- ideas for Social events
- a writer, editor and publisher for an internal newsletter
Although we do not have immediate plans to do a monthly newsletter at this time, we will try to update you all monthly on what’s happening. Here’s to a wonderful 2020; good health, lots of fun, peace on earth to all.