Long time coming...

So, I haven;t posted since January. That is basically terrible and you have my apologies. But, there has been a lot going on.

Two of a Kind was held in February and a great time was had by all. Plus, it looks like we met our fundraising goal for that event which is great news for our community projects next year!

Last weekend, we also hosted about 30 young women at BLOOM and outfitted them for the prom. This is a great project if you have never been. These young ladies are so excited to go home with the dress of their dreams, shoes, handbag and jewelry! They also had their hair done and earned gift certificates to various fun spots around town. It really is a heartwarming experience to watch the excitement on the faces of these young women.

And lastly, the board has been busy working on new community project proposals and completing the goals we laid out at the beginning of the year. We only have a few months to go and so far we are right on track.

Thanks to everyone for your service to our organization and to the community. We really appreciate it!

January Board Meeting

Hi all! The Jaunary Board Meeting was held last week and we had a great meeting! We reviewed all of the various events coming up this spring, our goals for the year, the incoming provisional class, Two of a kind and our endowment management. It was along meeting (sorry ladies) but we got a lot done. We're excited for the second half of the year!

December Board meeting update

Hi all! Last week the Board met for the December board Meeting. Typically this is just a festive and fun meeting before the holidays. But, t his year, we had important work to do. Due to the economic conditions, our endowment has dropped significantly this year. The good news is that we are not alone in this. However, the Board thought it would be wise to evaluate our investment advisors and even hear from a new firm. So, we did just that. From now until the next board meeting, we will be chewing on the informaiton provided and will vote in January to determine who will manage our money between now and then. Let's just hope the market improves as well...

Hollydays!

I hope you all made it to hollydays this weekend. What a great event! It takes so much to pull off an event like this so I'd like to personally thank the committee, chairs (Andrea and Alice) and the Fundraising folks on the board (Susan and Elizabeth). Y'all are fantastic! We're still tallying the numbers but this Art and Gift Market appears to have been very close to hitting or exceeding our goal. In a tough economy that is fantastic! Thanks also to all the volunteers who worked over the weekend. A true group effort ladies!!!! Well Done!

JLL Recruitment Event

JLL welcomed roughly 35 women interested in joining the League last night at the Crane House. It was a fun group and they asked a lot of great questions. Hopefully, they will all be new members in January! Thanks for coming to visit us, ladies!

November Board Meeting

The JLL Board of Directors met on the 6th of November. We used a portion of the meeting to do a mid-year "self-assessment". We talked about how we are operating as a Board, what is going well this year and what could use improvement. Run Wild quickly became a hot topic with the discussion revolving around whether or not we are making a real impact on the community with this event. After much discussion, we all agreed to look at this event top to bottom to see what we can do to make sure we are making a measurable impact on the community in future years.

We also discussed HollyDays, the upcoming Art andd Gift Market, the annual plan, our recruitment event (it was last night), the Two of a Kind Gala, our community impact numbers and more. Everything is on the web so check there frequently for upcoming events!

Who is our next president?

No, I'm not talking about Obama or McCain. I'm talking about Mary Ellen Wiederwohl - the next President of the Junior League of Louisville. Mary Ellen takes the reigns June 1st so I thought I'd let you know a little bit about her.

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl is the Assistant Director of MML&K Government Solutions, a lobbying and government relations firm based in Frankfort, KY. She joined MML&K with a background as chief legislative aide for the Senate Majority Floor Leader and later as a lobbyist and public relations director of the state Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), Kentucky’s state teacher preparation and certification agency.

Mary Ellen is a native Kentuckian; she was born in Louisville and grew up in Meade County. Mary Ellen is also a first generation American; her father immigrated to this country from Europe after World War II. Mary Ellen graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Louisville with a major in music. She has performed with numerous ensembles including the Louisville Youth Orchestra and the Louisville Chorus. She resides in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood with her Great Pyrenees and two cats.

As for JLL, Mary Ellen joined our organization in 1999. In her decade in the League, she has held numerous leadership and committee positions, including VP of Communications, Membership Mentor/Placement, Public Affairs Chair, and Membership Training Chair.

Mary Ellen has been a great asset on the board and I know she will be a great leader for the League's 89th year!