President’s Message:
In the Words of Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A–Changin’ …”
This is a time of great change in our organization and an opportunity for all members to play a role in the direction OWAC is heading. Our noble leader and Executive Director, Bob Semerau, is stepping back from all of the duties he’s been ‘voluntarily’ taking care of for OWAC over the many years. I don’t think any of us realized just how much he’s been doing, both in front of and behind the scenes, until now, as we move forward without him at the helm. Boo hoo!! It’s going to be tough … really tough … but we will somehow survive.
Although losing Bob as our E.D. in this time of transition is sad news, I am happy to announce and welcome Janet Fullwood as our newest member to the Board of Directors! Janet has a long history of writing and editing outdoor-oriented stories, including 23 years as travel editor and ski/outdoor writer at the Sacramento Bee, plus years of freelance work for many other publications. She will be a great addition to our team. Welcome Janet!
In other news, OWAC’s 2023 Excellence In Craft (EIC) contest wrapped up recently and the award winners were announced on our website. All first-place winners received $50 for their winning entry while 2nd place finishers received checks for $25. Once all of the entries were judged and the top writers and photographers began emerging, I’m happy to congratulate Nancy Sorrells who was selected as OWAC’s Writer of the Year! This is the highest honor given to one of our members each year, and Nancy’s award is well deserved. Nancy is a very talented, award-winning, nationally recognized writer and photographer, and her work speaks for itself. Congratulations Nancy for this prestigious award!
And regarding EIC, please keep checking our website as Nancy’s entries, as well as many of the other award-winning work from the authors and photographers recognized through the EIC, will begin appearing soon for all to see and enjoy.
Finally, please read Peter Schroeder’s article in this newsletter where he is outlining our next OWAC conference set for January 2024 in Sacramento to coincide with the International Sportsmen’s Expo. We will have a lot more information and details coming as we get closer, and I think you’ll be excited to learn all we have planned, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we are still searching for out next conference venue following Sacramento and we will let you know once we have some confirmations to share.
Until next time, I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and the long days of sunshine in California’s beautiful outdoors. I encourage everyone to share your travels and adventures with us on our website by posting your stories anytime to www.owac.org.
Cheers!
Carrie
