Change of Leadership

December 2009

Dear Whirly-Girls,

Some of you may already have heard that there has been a leadership change in our organization.  Three of our officers—President WG#381 Jeep White, VP-Operations WG#1437 Sydney Jackson and Treasurer WG#1572 Sheila Collier—have resigned from their positions.  However, we seven remaining Board members have picked up their duties, and with the help and guidance of several of our past Presidents and our loyal volunteers, we are moving forward to meet our goals and objectives.

Our immediate past president, WG#413 Cathy Adams, has agreed to serve as our interim president for the time being.  The core team that remains is comprised of a seasoned board with many years of experience managing the daily affairs of Whirly-Girls International from Scholarships to Operations. We have not skipped a beat. Additionally, our new agreement with Swartz CPA includes expanding their role to provide financial services that offloaded many duties of the Treasurer. This was already in place.

We are already planning and preparing for the annual Hovering, banquet and Whirly-Girls activities that will take place in Houston in just two short months. Our annual gathering is a key event for the Whirly-Girls, our primary opportunity to gather together as women helicopter pilots and share our common interest, make new friends, and network on all professional levels.  In addition, our Heli-Expo booth and Silent Auction are our two primary money-makers. The proceeds help fuel our scholarship fund, give us visibility within the industry, and facilitate the benefits of being a Whirly-Girl.

If ever you’ve flirted with the idea of getting involved, now is the time.  We can use a lot of helping hands in this time of transition, and we have a number of tasks that will not take a great deal of your time but will give you a lot of knowledge about the inner workings of our organization.  Please contact WG#413 Cathy Adams, aviatrix413@gmail.com to let her know you’re available to help.

We the undersigned constitute a transitional Board and will, as provided for in our By-Laws, appoint Whirly-Girls to fill the Board vacancies and officer positions until elections can be held in accordance with the By-Laws.  In the meantime, we will be posting additional information, along with Minutes of past Board meetings, frequently on our website, www.whirlygirls.org, so be sure and check there for updates.

Cathy Adams, WG#413, Interim President

Orla Engstrom, WG#1356, Secretary

Pamela Gallina, WG#744, VP-Scholarships

Janice Cuneo, WG#1021, Scholarship Director

Patricia Calder, WG#1213, Scholarship Director

Teresa Quinliven, WG#1473, Scholarship Director

Bev Haug-Schaffter, WG#465, VP-Merchandising