Planning the Future of Santa Fe TTN
On Saturday, October 25, 2014, the following nineteen members active in chapter leadership gathered at Sheila Doran-Benyon's home to spend a retreat day assessing, visioning, and planning the next stages of our three-and-a-half-year -old chapter: Jutta von Gontard, Patty Armstrong, Maria Francis, Ann Church, Portia Blackman, Francesca Shrady, Rachel Greenstein, Wanda Wells, Keri Durfee, Ellie Briggs, Annie Holley, Linda McEnroe, Judy Donohue, Sheila Doran-Benyon, Sarah Salazar, Jean Palmer, Carolyn Bates, Carolyn Moore, and Susan Latham. Jutta and Patty co-facilitated a circle council in the morning to elicit how we perceive and promote our chapter, along with what we wish to see happen. Participants were asked to focus on what they felt served the chapter and speak into the center, where their attention was drawn by a centerpiece full of 50+ women's photos designed by Patty to reflect the dynamic, engaging, leading and embracing qualities of our group.
Following a delicious lunch prepared by Sheila's husband, Alex, we broke into planning groups, based on our top four wish priorities. At the end of the afternoon, Jutta and Patty gathered the team back together to share ideas generated by the work groups.
A new committee was created on the spot to research and present to the membership in early 2015 their idea of collecting a Passion and Wisdom database of member interests to provide expert advice and assistance in community social justice activities. Monthly Steering Committee meetings were immediately expanded to include all retreat participants. And multiple ideas were presented to better inform and engage the membership, as well as now to expand and create better diversity within the membership.
TTN's Santa Fe Chapter has truly evolved beyond a start-up, into a mature organization with a growing, passionate, innovative and expanded leadership team that is open to continuous improvement and deeper connections with members and the community. We look forward to sharing our retreat experience and ideas with all of you and living up to our commitment to nurturing trust, respect and a safe place to share our varied experiences of transition, while fostering education, service, the development of friendships, and fun social activities.
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