It’s a relatively slow news month for the CAF Volunteer community with adult and student walking tours in their off-season and the Volunteer Steering Committee on hiatus in February. So I will use this posting to focus on briefly introducing myself.
While China may be ending term limits for its President, the CAF remains steadfast in adhering to its by-laws; so Ellen Oberhart’s very successful two-year stint as Volunteer Chair has come to an end. I am honored to begin attempting to fill her very large shoes as I move into the Chair position effective this month. I am also happy to announce that Ellen will continue to be very involved in representing the Volunteers in her role on the Move Task Force.
As to my background: I retired two years ago after 37 years in advertising account management working in Los Angeles and Chicago for big agencies including McCann-Erickson and DDB for big clients such as Nestle, Capital One, and McDonald’s. I can vouch that the plot lines of “Mad Men” were not all that exaggerated.
If you’re a fan of late night TV talk shows you may have seen replays of the 2002 McDonald’s commercial featuring Donald Trump with Grimace, the big furry purple guy. I have to admit…I am responsible for that.
In an attempt to balance my karma, I began volunteering with CAF in the fall of 2016 as a member of the initial class of Education Guides. I have actively participated not only in leading student field trips but also as an Exhibit Host and Design Studio and Family Festival volunteer. As prep for my new Chairperson’s role, I have represented the Education Guides on the Volunteer Steering Committee for the past 15 months.
Three key principles will guide my role as Chair…
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Ellen Oberhart and Caroline Duda have developed a wonderful spirit and effective processes in leading the activities of the CAF volunteers, and I plan to carry on that tradition.
Continue collaboration and communication with the Docents. Via her seat at the Docent Council table, Ellen has promoted integration of shared events and training across the Docent and Volunteer teams. I will continue to do so, and I also plan to be a member of the next Docent Training class in 2019.
Leverage the resources of the new CAC. The expanded and increasingly interactive exhibits and visitor services to be offered by the CAF’s new home should provide new and meaningful opportunities for our volunteers to engage with adult and student guests. I look forward to working with CAF’s education and management teams to identify intellectually and culturally stimulating new roles for volunteers as we define and staff the available shifts in the new center.
As we move into this exciting time of transition for the CAF, please look forward to two important events.
At the March 27 meeting of the Volunteer Steering Committee, Caroline and I will work with our colleagues to move into high gear in integrating the volunteer team into preparation for the move over the course of the spring and summer.
And, most importantly, I encourage all of you to attend Volunteer Appreciation Night on April 11. It will be a fun and festive evening, and I will attempt to say hello to as many of you as possible as I listen to your advice and thoughts. This will be our chance to say a formal thank you to Ellen Oberhart for her incredible service on behalf of the CAF volunteers.
I promise to offer more of substance in next month’s message as the plans for the move become more defined.
Go Cubs, Bob
Hi Bob. I’m looking forward to working with you during this exciting time.
Go Sox, Marge