The year 1995 was a year to remember for many reasons…
- Internationally, the war in Bosnia finally ended after three-and-a-half terrible years.
- In the Pacific Northwest, it was the year of Refuse to Lose when the Seattle Mariners rallied from 13 games back in August and made their improbable and incredible run into the post season.
- From Redmond, Microsoft released to much fanfare its Windows 95 Operating System.
- A Canadian artist, Alanis Morissette released her album Jagged Little Pill.
- And a Seattle-area nonprofit — which was then known as the Ski for All Foundation — took a leap of faith and hired Ed Bronsdon to be their executive director.
For me, I know what I remember most from that year!
I started 1995 as associate director of another Seattle-area nonprofit, Community Enterprises of Issaquah (now known as AtWork!). I was looking, though, for the next step in my career and I wanted to take on the challenges of being an executive director.
At the same time in 1995, this organization had been going through some growing pains. In the three years before I joined the team, it went through some turnover in filling the role of executive director. I think at the time they had some difficulty keeping staff, when really they should have been looking at ways to improve employee retention and reduce employee turnover. Not that it mattered, since that was when I turned up. They were looking for someone who would stay and lead the organization and its mission forward, manage its business operations and sort out whether or not the organization could grow beyond a mostly winter-based program into one that’s mission was more impactful on a year-round basis.
I grinned with anticipation when I first got the call for an interview. I entered the office (then located in Bellevue) and discovered that there were something like 13 people on the interview panel. I remember working very hard throughout that first interview to try and make good eye-contact with each person in the room! A week or so later I pinched myself when I got the call for a final in-person interview which included then Board Vice President David Moffett because Board President Stewart Sawyer was recovering from surgery. I tried to stay cool during our meeting, but felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. When a job offer was subsequently made and I enthusiastically accepted, I was ecstatic!
Twenty years later and twenty nine years in nonprofits I know that I am indeed fortunate to have a career in mission-based work. Here at Outdoors for All, I get to be part of an organization that transforms lives through outdoor recreation.
We transform lives through outdoor recreation! How awesome is that? I don’t for a moment take for granted the work that I get paid to do – and I don’t take for granted the trust that people placed in me here twenty years ago.
For these past twenty years my aim has been to keep earning that trust every day and I am deeply thankful for the honor of working and serving here.
You see, as powerful as our Transforming lives through outdoor recreation message may be to the community — I know that it’s not just the lives of others who may get to have their lives transformed by our operations. I know that my life has been transformed for the better, too.
So, thank you, for your support for Outdoors for All and thank you for your support for me — it has been nothing short of an extraordinary and transformational 20 years for me.
Thank you, because your support has meant that thousands of children and adults with disabilities get to exercise their abilities each year with Outdoors for All. That’s amazing! What’s also amazing is the quality of our outcomes: stronger social connections, improved physical fitness, better mental health, new friends, meaningful fun and so much more…thank you!
This business has developed so much over the last 20 years, and has become very popular in the process. Our online presence in particular has soared in recent years as a result of our amazing new website. Redesigning our website was probably one of the best decisions we could have ever made. After reading reviews of different hosting options, we decided it was time for a complete online overhaul, and the results have been superb. What are your thoughts on our new website? Let us know as we would love to hear your feedback.
Aside from our website, social media has played a huge role in our success. Thanks to the development of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as well, we’ve never been more in demand! We’re able to show ourselves off, the activities we offer and how much fun everyone is having here. Just by us getting tagged in customers posts, we’re able to see how much everyone has enjoyed themselves, and they’re also spreading the word about us in the process! Not to mention gaining a few free instagram followers too, there’s nothing better.
Thank you, because I’m still bullish on the prospects for our mission and business operations for the future and feel we have even better outcomes and achievements still to come.
Here’s to even more years of transformation and the continuing journey!