President’s Message – September 2026

After serving more than a decade on the Board of Directors of Wild Ones Rock River Valley chapter, both Cathy Johnson and me are retiring from the Board at the end of this year. Cathy has served as chapter secretary since 2014, the same year that I joined the Board. I have served as President since 2021 when Constance McCarthy retired after five years. Gloria Powell, who is currently an At-large member of the Board, has agreed to be nominated to replace Cathy as Secretary, and Paul Sikes, who has been active in the chapter for the past few years and has worked in retail marketing, has agreed to be nominated to take my place as President. Both are well qualified and will make great leaders of the chapter. I will continue on the Board as “Immediate Past-President.”

The election of the Board of Directors and officers will be held this year at our annual meeting/potluck on November 19, 2026. The ballot will be printed in the October newsletter and posted on our website. We are seeking nominations for an “At-large” director to replace Gloria Powell on the Board. Contact me at Paulsonjerry@aol.com or 815-222-4414 if you are interested in serving on the Board. All members are invited to attend our Board meetings that are held on Zoom on the second Thursday of the even-numbered months; the next meeting will be on October 8 at 6 p.m. Contact me if you want to be included in the meeting.

I hope to see you at our annual meeting on November 19, which will also be our annual seed exchange and potluck when we celebrate the great work of our chapter. It has been a great pleasure to serve as a leader of this organization.

Jerry Paulson

President