Thank you to those who were able to join us for our 70th Annual Conference in Galveston and the opportunity to kick off our yearlong celebration of 70 years of philanthropic impact in our region and beyond.
If you were not able to attend, a few highlights of the Conference included vibrant sessions submitted by our membership, a Halloween Tour of Galveston mansions, networking with new and old friends, and the opportunity to celebrate 22 years of service by former Executive Director Lucille DiDomenico. Lucille was instrumental in helping PSW members connect with other grantmakers and inspire excellence in our work.
Over the past year, the PSW Board has been actively engaged in setting our strategic plan. Our new vision for PSW is “a thriving southwestern U.S. through the power of collaborative philanthropy.” Our new mission is “to foster philanthropic excellence and trusted partnerships that impact our region’s most pressing issues.” Components of our strategic plan that truly excite me the most include how PSW can improve its programs and services to members and how we, as a powerful network, can impact our region through enhanced collaborations with philanthropic serving organizations and you, our PSW members. Additional highlights of our strategic direction work were shared with attendees at the Annual Conference during a session entitled “The Future of Philanthropy Southwest.” If you were not able to attend, you may access the PSW strategy map here.
As part of our strategic planning process, we are searching for a new CEO with some enhanced responsibilities. We hope you will share with others this exciting opportunity to be a part of the PSW team and help lead our association – the first of its kind in the country – into the future.
Finally, I would like to share my great thanks and appreciation to our amazing staff at PSW for their work over the past year to support the members of PSW: Interim Executive Director Sandra Nathan, Director of Communications Lauren Haskins, Operations Director and CRM Administrator Adrienne Clay, Project Manager Amy Askari, and Annual Conference Planner Angela Lust. We are very fortunate to have this outstanding team.
I wish you a very happy holiday season and look forward to celebrating a transformative 2019 with you all.
Very respectfully,
Matt Carpenter
Executive Vice President, El Pomar Foundation
Board President, Philanthropy Southwest