2022 State of the Guild Address
The past three years have been fraught with uncertainty and stress.
I know, not the most positive way to begin. However, to appreciate our accomplishments means reflecting on the past.
At the start of the pandemic in 2020, we board members went into survival mode. We acted quickly to determine how to continue doing what we do while living in isolation and social distancing parameters. With Erin Cusick’s excellent leadership, and a board full of creative thinkers, we got through it with great success. In 2021, the world was still in the midst of a pandemic without a clear sign of relief. We continuously questioned whether we’d be able to have in-person member meetings again, or if we could plan a Red Pencil event. Under the inspirational leadership of Jesi Vega, we were encouraged to focus on the positive, to run virtual events, create new policies, and concentrate our efforts on keeping the Guild a well-oiled machine while providing engaging events for members far and wide.
State of the Guild 2021
If you’re relatively new to the Guild, you are probably unaware that back in the day, prior to the pandemic, the Guild would host an annual potluck in Seattle. In addition to providing an occasion for members to eat yummy food and get to know each other better, the potluck was also the site of the Guild’s Board President’s “State of the Guild” address. This address served as a report-back to the members, but it was also an opportunity to educate members about the current scope, vision, and goals of the Guild as well as the work done by our Board of Directors (here are the 2019 and 2020 addresses). Once the pandemic hit, however, and the Guild’s potlucking days receded into the past, what was once a live “address” migrated to the internet and became a blog post.
So here it is, the State of the Guild, circa 2021, as told by your current President, Jesi Vega.
Volunteering Keeps the Guild Growing
As a small nonprofit professional organization, the Northwest Editors Guild relies heavily on volunteers to keep our operations going. April is Global Volunteer Month and the third week of April is National Volunteer Week, so there’s no better time to learn about the ways you can help make a difference in the editing community by volunteering with the Guild.
Welcome, 2021 Board Members!
Every year the Northwest Editors Guild’s board loses some past members and gains a few new ones, and every year here on the Guild’s blog we take a moment to introduce you to the dedicated volunteers on our board who work so hard to keep things running smoothly. This year we say farewell to outgoing board members Erin Cusick, Michael Schuler, and Matt Bennett, and hello to new members Sarah M. Peterson, Erica Akiko Howard, Alessandor Earnest, and Ivonne B. Ward!
Find out more about the new (and ongoing) board members below, and be sure to say hello if you meet them at an event.
State of the Guild 2020
In a “normal” year—that is, in a year without a pandemic—the Northwest Editors Guild would host a gathering of members at the annual potluck in the fall. This gathering gives members in the Puget Sound region a chance to meet informally to share good food and good company. We regret that this event, along with so many others, had to be canceled this year.
Guild Statement on Protests
Black lives matter. The board of the Northwest Editors Guild mourns the violent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others—including, here in the Northwest, Manuel Ellis. We are appalled at the violence committed by those entrusted with law enforcement. Yet as representatives of an overwhelmingly White professional association, we must also recognize the racial inequality in our own organization and in our profession.
Welcoming 2020 on the Board
On January 19, departing, returning, and incoming board members of the Northwest Editors Guild joined together for our annual daylong retreat to meet up in person, share information, and ensure a smooth transition into 2020. Please join us in welcoming our new members, and enjoy these brief introductions to the whole board.
Pleased to Meet You
The enthusiastic volunteers who guide the Northwest Editors Guild kicked off the year with a daylong board of directors’ retreat on January 13. To ensure a smooth transition, departing, returning, and incoming board members, along with Guild administrator Jen Grogan, joined together at this annual event.
Four volunteers—Christina Johnson, Roberta Klarreich, Pm Weizenbaum, and Polly Zetterberg—wrapped up two years of service, making way for new board members: Alison Cantrell, Erin Cusick, MariLou Harveland, and Alicia Ramos.
The team is looking forward to meeting up with members at our bimonthly member meetings, regional gatherings, and, of course, the September 21 Red Pencil conference. Until then, here are brief introductions.
2018 State of the Guild
By joining the board, I got to step behind the curtain and learn about all the backstage activity that goes on in support of our members. One of the very first things I learned about the board was that each one of these people takes our mission to heart, weighing decisions against these words:
“The Northwest Editors Guild connects writers with professional editors of the written word in the Pacific Northwest. We also foster community among our members and provide resources for their career development.”
2016 State of the Guild
I don’t know where the urge to shoot myself in the foot comes from, but I’m going to tell on myself now: the Guild met in this same fabulous Sky Lounge for a potluck two years ago, and I brought my standard potluck dish, which is a Greek potato salad. Everyone was asked to create a label, naming their food item, and place the label next to their dish. I’ll never forget the horror of standing in this room, looking at my Magic-markered word “Potatoe” and thinking maybe I should take the e off the end. But not being so sure about that. All the while, fifty hungry editors were lining up to make the rounds on the buffet table. I left the e on there. Please forgive me–this happened at the end of a long, hard week and you all made me nervous.
I discovered that I come unglued in the presence of genius.