PAWMA News

Board Update - Announcing Four Vacancies

by Robin Dahlberg, Vice President

Your current board showing their fierce determination. L-R from top left: Emmy DeFigueiredo, Robin Dahlberg, Kathy Long, Rusty DeJesus, Jennifer Argle, Mollie Wolf, Gina Mares Kurtz, Jaydra Perfetti

When a new PAWMA Board convened about a year and a half ago, little did we know that the whole world would shift. And we shifted with it! We have been fortunate to have collective skill sets adept in using technology, so that we could plan not one, but now two online camp experiences. 

As we continue to adapt, we hope that some of you will join us for the ride. At the conclusion of our next camp, August 26-29, 2021, three of our board members will be signing off from their leadership duties. Another of our members stepped down earlier to grow their family (congrats, Veronica!). With this in mind, we will have four vacancies on our Board of Directors in the fall of 2021. 

What does it take to be a PAWMA board member? The most important characteristic we are looking for is excitement and capacity to serve as a volunteer on the Board! Being a martial artist and a member of PAWMA is also a great start. Additional areas of skill could include:

• Strategic planning

• Accounting and finance

• Business development

• Marketing and communications

• Public relations

• Event planning/fundraising

• Internet and social media

• Membership development

• Anti-oppression and social justice

Other details:

• Terms are typically three years long. 

• Meetings are held once a month over Zoom. (Yes, we Zoomed before it was a thing). Meeting frequency increases as we ramp up to camp. 

• Additional time commitments vary depending on tasks and/or positions you’ve elected to take on. 

Feeling enthusiastic and ready to dig in? Have a specific skill set you’d like to offer? Want to deepen your relationship with an amazing organization? Do you know someone who you think would really help PAWMA behind the scenes? We want to hear from you! Nominations will be accepted until June 8th. You may nominate yourself or another PAWMA person. Please email your nominations and/or any questions you have to vicepresident@pawma.org. 

We have taken nominations in person at camp in the past. In an effort to involve more of our members, we are hoping to shift to an online process. Also, we are eager to have a diverse Board that represents our membership. If you’ve never served on the Board before - we strongly encourage you to consider it for the upcoming term!

If you have any questions (about roles, responsibilities, or what it all entails) - please reach out to Robin (vicepresident@pawma.org) or Emmy (president@pawma.org).