At this time last year, we were just a couple of months into virtual operations at WES after the world was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Have you heard the saying, “you don’t know what you don’t know”?  Well, in this case, the Board of Trustees was frighteningly aware that we had no way of knowing what the year ahead would hold for us at WES.  One thing we were sure about – we would have to work together as a team, alongside WES staff and other lay leaders, to chart a course for the organization to survive these challenging times.  Around the same time as being overtaken by the pandemic, we were informed that Amanda Poppei would be departing as Senior Leader so we also embarked on the hiring process that fortunately brought us Interim Senior Leader Lyn Cox.  

We started the year by onboarding four new Trustees in July and serving as gap leadership while we awaited Lyn’s arrival in August.  From August 1 until now, it has been a whirlwind year filled with community engagement, Interim Senior Leader support and oversight, reopening planning, policy development, financial oversight, discernment work in support of the interim period and our Constitutional requirement to consider a Statement of Purpose revision, pledge party hosting, Senior Leader Search Committee outreach, and matching members with available lay leadership roles.  

As a community, we welcomed Lyn and saw some staffing changes early in the year.  We figured out how to stay connected with one another in this virtual environment.  We began the hard but critical work of looking at our history and envisioning our future to prepare for our next Senior Leader.  We mourned the loss of beloved community members and welcomed new life through a Spring Festival baby naming.    

It would be an understatement to say that this has also been a tough year for all of us outside of the walls of WES.  The COVID-19 pandemic has raged on, here at home and all over the world.  As of today, we are fast approaching 600,000 deaths in the US alone, and people throughout the country are facing unemployment and a housing crisis.  

Over the past year, the world watched in horror as videos and details emerged again and again of the murders of Black people at the hands of law enforcement.  This is not a new phenomenon, of course, but some are saying that America is in the midst of a racial reckoning.  Yes, confederate monuments were torn down, Black Lives Matter signs were placed in yards, and some jurisdictions passed laws banning no-knock warrants and certain police holds.  However, can we truly say we are in a reckoning when the violence persists and we have not made systemic changes across the US?  

In November, a majority of the country cast their vote to change the Administration, but a small group of people unwilling to accept defeat attempted to prevent the certification of election results by storming the US Capitol.  This insurrection caused loss of life and concerns for the future safety of our elected officials and public servants.  

And this is to say nothing about what we are witnessing internationally or the specific circumstances all of us are experiencing in our own lives. 

Personally, the community at WES has continued to be a major part of my grounding and support over this past year, and I feel certain that our commitment to ethical culture is needed now more than ever.  As I approach the end of my time on the Board of Trustees, I am left with a feeling of deep gratitude for WES.  Gratitude for the trust of the community and for those who shared feedback and new ideas with the Board in service of strengthening WES.  Gratitude for all of the personal and professional growth opportunities I have experienced over the last four years.  And, gratitude especially for those who were able to find a way this past year to give of their time and talents to share the load of leadership responsibilities so that WES could not only survive, but thrive, in this difficult time.  Thank you.

Speaking of our thriving community, I invite everyone to participate in the upcoming Spring Membership Meeting on June 6 at 12pm to learn more about the work of the past year and participate in decision-making that will guide the community in the next year and beyond.  If you have been looking for a way to re-engage with WES, or deepen your engagement, this is a great opportunity.  In addition to hearing updates from Lyn, the Board, and the Community Relations Committee, members will vote on important matters, including:

• Approval of the 2021-2022 operating budget
• Decision on whether to amend the WES Statement of Purpose
• Election of the 2021-2022 Board of Trustees (held via Election Buddy)
• Approval of the proposed slate of candidates for the Senior Leader Search Committee (held via Election Buddy) 

You can find the meeting agenda, some supporting documents, and the Zoom details in an email from our meeting moderator, Sonja Kueppers, sent on May 23.  I hope you will join us.  

Thank you for being a part of the WES community!  It has been an honor to serve you over the past four years.  Starting July 1, I will be on the lookout for other groups or initiatives to support so that I can continue to deepen my connection to WES in new and exciting ways.  I hope to see you soon!

Lauren Strange, President

on behalf of the 2020-2021 Board of Trustees

Josh Blinder, Abi Daken, Trang Duong, Kate Lang, Lauren Strange, Vincent Tyler, and Rajesh Vidyasagar