Resilience in the Face of Change

Change is inevitable.

In all aspects of life, no matter the topic, sooner or later, change happens. So it is with RMFU. Thus, after 8 incredibly hard-working years with RMFU, we are saying “see you later” (not good-bye) to our Director of RMFU, Dan Waldvogle. Dan has shared with us that he has accepted a new position outside of RMFU where he will begin as of July. Dan began with us years ago working in Membership and worked his way up to Director of RMFU. We want to thank him for his work for our organization and its members and wish him well as he continues his work for rural communities at his new job. We look forward to continue collaborating with him in that new role, and I am sure we will see him active as a member of RMFU.

Marking another transition in the organization, it was with sadness I heard of the passing of former Board of Director member and long-time RMFU member Kathleen Box. My earliest memory of Kathleen was at RMFU Summer Camp where I was a camper and later a counselor.  I later got to know her better when I was selected to be RMFU Vice President and continued to serve on the Board with her for many years. Her passion for education, agriculture, RMFU, and rural communities will be missed, and we will do our best to continue her passion and honor her memory.

We have also lost a number of the older generation within the RMFU family lately, and it really makes me think about how much we those who come before us. In agriculture, many of us are lucky to have been raised in the same communities as our ancestors, in many cases on the same land, which gives us an interesting perspective on goals and life. Knowing that our ancestors helped shape the communities of rural New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming provides a strong connection to communities. Even though I no longer live there, growing up on the same land my ancestors homesteaded, in the same community that welcomed my great-great grandparents over a century ago makes me want to work that much harder to make the community and ones like it thrive so the same opportunity is available for future generations.

You will read later in this newsletter about the work that RMFU has recently done for our members, and for the communities that our members and their families call home. Just like rural communities, RMFU is built on the hard work of those who came before us, and those who are active now. We all hope to pass on a stronger organization to the next generation, and we strive to build communities that know how to flex, bend, and continue to thrive…even through change.