About Us

Steering Committee

The Orcas Crossroads steering committee consists of volunteers from the community who bring diverse interests and skills to the monthly meetings. They arrange six to eight lectures each season and are assisted by a part-time staff member.

Sandy Wilson, Chair

Diane Berreth, Bruce Buchanan, Carie DeRuiter, Tom Evans, Judith Miller, Ruth Newman, Jennie Pederson, Michael Riordan

Susan Malins,  Administrative Director

Past members of the steering committee are:  Steve Garrison, Phil Heikkinen, Jay Kimball, Meg Massey, Rachel Newcombe, Donna Riordan, Barbara Safreit,  David Schermerhorn,  and Tom Welch.

Sponsorship

The Orcas Crossroads Lecture Series is an independent non-profit organization supported through the generosity and support of the Orcas Island community. It was initially sponsored by The Friends of the Orcas Island Library in cooperation with the Orcas Island Public Library.

Generous support is provided by:  Crossroads Associates Circle, the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation, the Washington Humanities Foundation, and individual donors at the door.

Specific program underwriting support has been provided in this and previous seasons by the Orcas Medical Center Foundation, Robert Lundeen and anonymous donors.

Volunteers provide assistance throughout the year to help bring this series to Orcas. We appreciate the help of all, including: Members of The Key Club of Orcas High, Andrea Hendrik, Harvey Himmelfarb, Jay Kimball, Alan Lichter, Eleanore Stewart, and the partners & spouses of committee members.

Orcas Public Library staff members Martin Arnold and Mary Pugh, and the Director, Phil Heikkinen, provided valuable assistance to Crossroads (for which the Library was compensated) in the first several years. Orcas Center staff members, Phil Burbo and KD Laslo, help insure smooth production of each lecture.

Thanks to all of you for your continued interest and support!

History

The Orcas Crossroads Lecture Series was conceived in 2006 by the Friends of the Orcas Island Library (FOIL) as a means of providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among members of the Orcas community. Several members of FOIL recruited the initial steering committee and FOIL provided some financial support in the formative years.

Committee member Richard Fadem secured start-up funding from the Sir Francis Bacon Foundation for the first two seasons.  The series then became self-supporting through the generosity of a small number of benefactors and the Associates’ donations, plus season and individual ticket sales. The first lecture was in the Fall of 2007.