Friends of Gladish Annual Report 2007

Submitted by Julia Pomerenk, President

 

Friends of Gladish experienced another exceptional year in 2007, thanks to the dedicated efforts of many individuals.

 

Special Thanks for 2007 include:

·         Thanks to our Executive Director Dennis McConnell for his dedicated work and positive professionalism.

·         Thanks to our Gladish employees—Ashtyn Baker, Katrina Burch, Brenda Cox, Samuel Hughes, Nick Jessen, Jeff Marlitt, and Gage Webster—for their steady work to keep Gladish going.

·         Thanks to all the Friends of Gladish Board Members for their commitment to Gladish. Your contributions at our monthly meetings and your expertise and hard work between meetings are invaluable.

·         Thanks to the board officers—Janet Kendall, Sandy Field, Dave Gibney and Lynn Bagley—for keeping us in line, for keeping minutes, and keeping our finances in order.

·         Thanks to Sharon Walbridge for her good work and her good words publicizing Gladish, especially in the monthly Community Update.

·         Thanks to Dick Domey and Al von Frank for their ongoing work to beautify Gladish. Think of Dick and Al as you walk through newly painted hallways and stairways and bathrooms in Gladish.

·         Thanks to Lee Hadwiger for his work and wisdom as our chief steward for Gladish maintenance. Think of Lee whenever you walk under the roof without leaks and when you see the energy-saving Styrofoam in the upper half of the windows.  

·         Thanks to Peggy Ray for coming to our aid again by working on the annual financial report.

·         Thanks to all the Friends of Gladish for your monetary and moral support for this grand, old building.

·         Thanks to our community members who choose Gladish as their place for meetings and parties and other gatherings.

·         Last, but not least, thanks to our many tenants. Without their patience and their rent, Gladish would not exist.

 

Particular Accomplishments for 2007 include:

·         Marking the 11-year anniversary (on February 5, 2008) of the purchase of Gladish by the Friends of Gladish

·         Naming Jeff Burnett as the Bev McConnell Community Service Award recipient for 2007

·         Dedicating the Richard L. Domey Auditorium

·         Hosting a service club lunch for WSU President Elson Floyd

·         Welcoming Senator Patty Murray to the building

·         Welcoming more than 3000 visitors to Gladish over the three days of Mom’s Weekend 2007

·         Receiving a Social Services grant and a Building for the Arts grant

·         Installing 79 new, energy-efficient windows (and receiving a rebate from Avista for over $6000 toward the cost of the windows)

·         Honoring long-time supporters by adding a podium to the View Room from Hausenbuller memorial funds and installing a cabinet to the third-floor hallway to honor Del Rowland

·         Improving the heating system and reducing energy costs (by $3500 when comparing November 2007 to November 2006) and demonstrating how Dennis’s leadership in saving energy is paying off—literally!

 

Some Farewells from 2007:

·         We lost two special friends who supported Gladish, in part, by letting their partners dedicate many hours to Gladish.  We are thankful for the lives of Jean Chew and Pat McConnell. We also lost Guynethia Buckley, another long-time Gladish supporter.

 

·         We said goodbye to two employees who had worked at Gladish for years. We wish all the best for Gregg Cysensky and Walt Spurling.

 

·         We said goodbye to board member Gene Siple.

 

·         We bid farewell to several tenants this past year: Building Blocks Child Care Center; Festival Dance; Hope Counseling; Idaho/Washington Chorale; and Paintings by Jacqueline.

 

·         We greeted several new tenants this past year: Pullman Civic Theatre that returned for much of June and July; Paradise Valley Breakfast Rotary Club; Pullman Karate; Rising Stars; Sanmar; The Learning Center, Young Life, and YMCA that returned for the summer.

 

Some Ongoing Opportunities for Improvement:  

  • Replacement of even more windows throughout the building
  • Electrical re-location
  • Improvements to parking lot
  • Maintenance and improvements to the roof
  • Maintenance and improvements to the old boiler and heating coils
  • Installation of air conditioning, especially in the auditorium

 

The Gladish Community and Cultural Center continues to face and overcome many challenges. I encourage contributions and suggestions to help meet any of our needs. I look forward to the accomplishments and challenges as we celebrate our second decade and move forward. As always, Gladish will depend on the contributions—of labor, love, and money—from the Friends of Gladish. Thank you for being one of those friends.