Letter from the President of the Board - Teri Valente
The ECCC Board gathered last week for our Fall Retreat at the Thomas the Apostle Center (TAC) in Cody, Wyoming! A few extenuating circumstances led to some hybrid work, a little owl magic, plenty of time-zone math, and a whole lot of creative problem-solving—including how to share these moving pieces with all of you.
A few Board updates:
The Rev. Shannon Kelly and Stratt Byars have joined the Executive Committee as Vice President and Treasurer, respectively. Julia Connelly will fill a one-year Board vacancy. Shannon will chair Nominations, the Rev. Malcolm McLaurin and Bart Geissinger will co-chair Development, and Julia will chair Awards.
Bylaws and big-picture work:
We reviewed the ByLaws Task Force’s work, including a draft of revised Articles of Incorporation that we hope to bring to the Membership for approval at the Annual Meeting before filing with the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2027. Even more exciting, we reviewed an advanced draft of fresh ECCC Bylaws! Simone Gamble of O.A.A.A.R.S. (Organizer Activist Artist Advocate Referral System) is reviewing them through a lens of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging. We look forward to incorporating their feedback and sharing the updated Bylaws with you soon. Huge thanks to Brad Thompson, Julia Connelly, and Dr. Kathy Wilder for their faithful work on this important piece of ECCC’s future! And thank you, Pam Pringle for her eagle eyed editing.
Smaller-picture work:
We also caught up virtually with Jess, our part-time staff, and Annual Conference Co-Chairs Sara Gunter and Mike Roberts. And because it wouldn’t be a retreat without a little fun, we played Flip 7 Vengeance and Uno No Mercy, learned resistance songs from Megan Kittridge around the campfire, explored Buffalo Bill’s Center of the West, took in views of Heart Mountain and more than a dozen retired carriage horses, counted nearly 90 lions around the property, spotted an elusive coyote, and even put out a cell phone fire. We also set some refreshingly attainable goals for 2027!
Speaking of goals, are you passionate about HR? We’re looking for folks interested in joining a Personnel Policy Task Force. Let me know if that sounds like you!
And Speaking of Personnel…
The Board is so appreciative of the extra work and time the ECCC Staff have been investing over Jess’ medical leave. Sam has continued to walk us through our health benefits administation, kept everything up to date for Q4 stwardship season, and has undertaken document ownership and organization of the ECCC google drive just because she likes it??!! Bekah has been tackling school, the Resource Round Up, Retreat Spotlights, and the Retreat Center Cycle of Prayer like a Champion. And God Bless Megan for handling her 3rd quarter in a new position, while her only full-time co-worker was out on medical leave with grace. We have only heard wonderful feedback about the Rooted Leadership Think Tank event and I couldn’t have made it through the Board Retreat without her glow in the dark nails, marker art and attention to detail. She is a true rock star. Bekah, Megan, and Sam – Thank you to the moon and back for your leadership in this unexpected season of ministry.
Finally, a heartfelt thank-you to Rebekah, Robert, and Alex for their gracious hospitality at their gorgeous mountain home. If you’re ever in Cody—or passing through on your way to Yellowstone—I hope you’ll stop by TAC and visit!
Peace,
Teri
