With the Annual General Meeting behind us, the new Board of Directors has been installed and we are now on to the business of planning and running events. Leaving the board from last year is outgoing President Jay Hunt. I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Jay for his leadership in taking us through some critical issues not the least of which was getting us onto a strong financial footing. His hard work is appreciated by all of our members.
I would like to thank the board for their confidence by electing me as President for 2010. Changes to the board will see Maureen Murphy as our new Vice President and the following new board members:
Francois Rochon – Algonquin Sommelier Program Instructor;
Richard Thibodeau – No stranger to the Guild as a member and former Director and
Cynthia Mar – A long term volunteer with the Guild (Memberships and Event Registrar) now assuming a Director’s role.
Welcome to our new board members. The board, which meets every month (generally on the second Monday of every month), is a progressive group with the kind of diverse backgrounds that we need to make good decisions. I can also say with a great deal of pride that we have better representation for women, more than we have ever had!
I believe now that our first priority is to ensure that the Guild, after 17 years, is still a vibrant and relevant organization and responsive to our membership. To that end, the new board has had a first strategy session. The session was based on input from the recently run focus groups, where data was gathered from our membership. The board is currently redefining our focus to ensure that we are delivering value to you in the form of the events and services we offer. I will keep you informed as to the results of these meetings.
We are now going into our summer season, our last tasting event prior to the summer will be the Celebrity Wine Challenge, which should prove fun and interesting! This summer we will run two of our annual favorites: the Mechoui and Summer Dining at Gay Cook’s. As these events sell out in a hurry I would advise that you act quickly to register.
During the summer, the Board will be busy solidifying the Guild’s fall tasting lineup including VPR’s. We will also continue our work with Joan Culliton and the Food and Wine Show in determining an interesting and fruitful tasting program. If you have any interest in running an event (with the assistance of a Board member), we encourage you to contact any of the Board members to put your idea to the other Director’s.
If you have any ideas or would like to provide comments or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact myself or any of your board members.
To register for an event, click the Register for this Event button on the event's description page. This will take you to the EventBrite registration page.
The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.
"I’m drinking wine, eating cheese, and catching some rays." — Donald Sutherland as Oddball in Kelly’s Heroes
