Q & A with Dorie Blue: Board President
What brought you to music teaching and what you love about it?
The request of a friend to teach her daughter and the encouragement of my teacher which led me to join BMTA. There I found the support and additional encouragement and skills to be successful. It suited me because I’m a creative person and I like the joy of being creative in a creative field! I especially like the one-on-one teaching and building of relationships with students over the course of their study.
What is your past experience on boards?
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PTA in elementary, middle and high school in numerous capacities
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BMTA board in various capacities
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WSMTA board in several capacities
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Westedge Federal Credit Union board member
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Northside Church as Christian Education Chair
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Stuart Slusher Scholarship Fund
Why you are excited to serve Gifts of Music NW?
It’s a wonderful non-profit with amazing goals and passion for reaching and helping others through the healing power of music. I feel that it’s something I can help make a difference in, in my community.
What are your Hobbies outside music?
Gardening, swimming, knitting, anything fun!
Any other notable awards?
I’ve received the highest honor for volunteerism in PTA with the Golden Acorn Award. I was nominated and inducted into the Washington State Music Teacher’s Hall of Fame by my fellow colleagues for exemplary service.
Board Members
Q & A with Board Treasurer: Nathan Campbell
Nathan began his teaching career as a swim instructor and found it to be such a rewarding experience that it just made sense to pursue teaching music, which was his degree in college. He worked at a couple music schools while living in San Francisco before moving back to Bellingham and starting his own private studio.
Currently, in addition to teaching, Nathan serves as the Secretary for the Bellingham Music Teachers Association as well as the Coordinator for the WSMTA Composition Competition. Serving on the Board for Gifts of Music NW aligns with Nathan’s belief that music education should be accessible to everyone, and that your situation in life should not determine your ability to experience the benefits of learning, performing, and creating music.
When Nathan isn’t at the piano, he can be found meandering around mountain trails, jumping into remote lakes, gardening, running, reading and wishing that there were a few more hours in each day to partake in all the joys of being alive.
Board President
We are looking for a board president willing to fulfill the following responsibilities:
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Be the chief volunteer officer of the organization
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Lead the board in performing its duties and responsibilities
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Presiding at all meetings of the board of directors
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Establishing goals for the board
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Appointing board members to serve as chairs of specific committees
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Creating agendas for board meetings
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Developing an onboarding process for new board members
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Conducting the executive director's performance reviews
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Facilitating performance reviews and self-evaluations of board members
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Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs
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Serve as an active ambassador for the organization
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Engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for the organization to advance its mission
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Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve the organization’s mission
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Help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing, and influence public policy
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Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings
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Engage in learning opportunities to better understand the community we serve
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Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and lived experiences into the boardroom and the organization
Board Treasurer
We are looking for a board treasurer willing to fulfill the following responsibilities:
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Provide oversight of the financial condition of the organization
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Keep the board informed of the financial condition of the organization
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Lead an annual audit of the organization to ensure proper use of funds
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Oversee budget preparation and shall ensure that appropriate financial reports are made available to the board of directors on a timely basis.
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Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs
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Serve as an active ambassador for the organization
-
Engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for the organization to advance its mission
-
Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve the organization’s mission
-
Help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing, and influence public policy
-
Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings
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Engage in learning opportunities to better understand the community we serve
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Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and lived experiences into the boardroom and the organization
Board Secretary
Currently we have a board secretary.
The board secretary should be willing to fulfill the following responsibilities:
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Keep a secure book of minutes of all board meetings
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Give notice of all meetings
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Be a custodian or ensure the safe custody of the records of the non-profit
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Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs
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Serve as an active ambassador for the organization
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Maintaining contact records for all board members
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Ensuring that the organization complies with both its own internal regulations and governmental regulations
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Engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for the organization to advance its mission
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Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve the organization’s mission
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Help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing, and influence public policy
-
Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings
-
Engage in learning opportunities to better understand the community we serve
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Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and lived experiences into the boardroom and the organization
General Responsibilities
As a board member, all positions are also generally responsible for the following:
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Determining the mission of the organization and understanding its collective purpose
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Selecting, supporting, and evaluating the performance of the chief executive
strategic and organizational planning -
Ensuring strong fiduciary oversight and financial management
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Fundraising and resource development
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Approving and monitoring the organization’s programs and services
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Enhancing the organization’s public image
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Assessing its own performance as the governing body of the organization
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Ensuring legal and ethical integrity