Birch Creek Announces New Members to the Board of Trustees
EGG HARBOR, Wis. (November 14, 2023) – Birch Creek is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its 19-member Board of Trustees.
David Long, joins the Birch Creek Board for the third time, effective at the October 2023 Board meeting.
Long says, “I enjoyed my first two terms on the board and believe I can provide more guidance for the board. I am retired and live in the Little Harbor area of Door County. I was born and raised in Door County, then college and then after a 40-year career with the USDA returned to Door County. I especially am interested in providing some insight into the beginnings of Birch Creek for the 50-year anniversary in 2025. For example, I remember the day Jim Dutton (Birch Creek) and I went down to the Dutton concert barn and Jim clapped his hands and said isn’t that a great sound. I sort of looked around and sounded pessimistic, puzzled!! Why would anybody ever make this into a concert hall? Remember I grew up in Door County on a dairy farm and a barn that was for animals. The rest is history.”
Patti Vickman is also rejoining the Birch Creek Board of Trustees. She is an advocate for improving the quality of life in Door County and serves as chair of the Door County Medical Center Board of Trustees. She currently serves on Big Brothers Big Sisters and the United Way boards. Prior to Vickman’s retirement in 2021, she returned to her alma mater, Southern Door Schools, to serve ten years as superintendent. Her over 45 years of experience in education as a teacher, specialist, and administrator has been in rural and urban communities, large and small school districts, and public and private settings. She now works part-time as a Governance Consultant for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards where she assists district superintendents and their school boards as they work to improve their governance. She facilitates a variety of workshops and services in leadership, governance, strategic planning, equitable services, community engagement and superintendent searches.
Steve Kane, another returning member, brings a wealth of experience in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. He has made significant contributions to organizations such as the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Catholic Charities of San Francisco, and the Oakland Zoo, where he served as board chair and successfully oversaw major expansions and fundraising efforts. His extensive experience in human resources and legal roles on the West Coast, along with his educational background, make him an asset to any organization. Kane’s commitment to community service and problem-solving skills are evident in his leadership roles, such as mediating a loan forgiveness agreement at the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center.
“Birch Creek is incredibly fortunate to enlist the talent, experience and dedication of so many professionals serving on its Board of Trustees,” says Mona Christensen, Executive Director. “Birch Creek’s future looks bright as these three new board members serve with 16 others to fulfill its mission of providing performance-based music education for students from around the country.”
Special thanks and heartfelt appreciation are extended to the three outgoing board members, Diane Taillon, who served on the Development Committee, Bill Hensge, who served as the President of the Associates Volunteers, and Sam Carmen, who served as the Development Chairperson and on Birch Creek’s Executive Committee, for their dedicated service over the past three years.