I went back to Anchorage again at the end of the month to see the Anchorage Folk Festival. It is here that I meet up with lots of the folks we having coming down for the Seldovia Summer Solstice Musice Festival. Old and new friends gather for two weeks of music and workshops. This year the headliners were The Stairstep Sisters, and the Savoy Family.. Wow. what great acts and the workshops they gave were wonderful. On the second weekend, I was joined by Randall Williams, the "capo guy" and outstanding performer from the world at large. I helped Randall on his quest for fame and fortune in Alaska by going to various radio interviews with him and helping him see a bit of Anchorage. He later drove on down to Homer and then to Seldovia where he did a house concert and also a workshop for the Boys and Girls Club and the Community.
January 10 and 11, I attended "Leadership: Are You Ready?, a training for non-profit community organizations created by the Forakergroup and sponsored by Conoco Phillips, The emphasis of the conference was to ponder the ways inwhich non-profit organizations statawide can network for the better good of all. A few of the speakers included: Peter Brinkerhoff, award-winning author and expert in non-profit management. Mr. Brinkerhoff expounded on the notion that a non-profit is a mission-based business in the business of doing its mission. He emphasised the importance of creating a clear mission statement a clear guiding force for an orgainzation. Gary Ostrokske, President of the United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area told of his experiences in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He told of the many ways the community pulled together during this disaster and how non-profits such at United Way, religious organizations and other roots-based local organizations have been the back-bone of recovery. Katarine DeShaw told of her organization, United States Artists, whose mission is to nurture support and strengthen the work of America's finest living artists. Katherine Gottlieb, (former Seldovian) was awarded the 2004 McArhur Genius Award as did Sven Haakanson, Jr. of Kodiak Island. Together they were interviewed about their background experiences and thier inpirations for leadership. Many more speakers taught workshops on financial management, board development, communications, and other challenges to non-profit organizations..
