I have only served on the board for one year. Mark has been a lifeline for me as the rookie Newsletter Editor. I am a student of leadership and have made it one of my mantras to recognize and learn from leaders in my life, Thus I feel compelled to share with you what a privilege it has been to serve with Mark as a mentor. His style of leadership is soft-spoken, backed with passion and commitment at an elite level. My first impression is he is the guy fishing the slow water where the fishing is more laid back and it is okay to wait for the fish to come to you. On the contrary, this guy and his wife went on a drift boat cruise on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon! When I asked Mark about the adventure he told me a story about hitting some rough water and the one and only guide took an unscheduled and force of nature-assisted dive out of the boat leaving the oars unoccupied. That is when “Clark Kent” turned into “Super Man”! Mark quickly reacted and took the oars, avoided crashing the boat into the various hazards, making it to calmer water, and rescuing the guide! So, if you ever have the opportunity to glean the good from a leader, may it be someone like Mark.
This is not goodbye as he will continue to serve on our board. However, I felt it relevant to acknowledge his leadership with a couple of small tokens. Below is a picture of Mark and his wife, Suzanne, during the aforementioned adventure on the mighty Colorado. After that, there are a couple of comments to share from others about Mark. Finally, there is a list Mark recently forwarded to the board to articulate what the “President’s Duties” include. He also suggested that some of these duties be distributed among board members and any chapter members who may be interested. This also is an example of a great leader who has prepared an exit strategy, enabling his predecessor with valuable information to succeed. Anyone interested in taking on any of these duties, please reach out to me and I will let the board know your interest or contact any board member. (see contact information in this newsletter)
On a note about moving onward and upward, our new President nominee is Doug Camp. I also have witnessed great leadership characteristics from this man personally (plus he is an excellent fly-tier). I believe we will be in good hands with future endeavors with Doug at the “oars” of our chapter!
Tight Lines,
Don Spencer
SLVTU Editor
