Dear FGCS Community:
I'm writing this to let you know that, after five years of thrills,
chills, and excitement, I am stepping down as chair of the FGCS Board
of Directors and leaving my position as a board member. I did not
make this decision lightly, but my kids have shared me with this
school for a long time now, and I need to spend some time with them
before they grow up and leave the nest.
Though I fully believe that the school is in great shape and has
fantastic leadership, my resignation leaves the board even more
shorthanded than it has been already these past few months. When we
started the school, the board had seven members; for a variety of
reasons, over the course of the year, that number has dwindled to 3.
This is not sustainable – no matter how good and dedicated these few
people are, they cannot cover the board responsibilities without
additional help. This is a young and growing school that is off to a
great start but, without a skillful and engaged board, the continued
development of the school will be difficult.
The board has oversight of the school finances, a responsibility to
evaluate the staff and program to ensure adherence to stated mission
and values, and, in addition, must also guide the school through the
process of designing and building a new facility to accommodate the
growth of the school. For this we need expertise in finance, human
resources, education, fundraising, and legal matters, though many of
these skills can be contracted out to experienced professionals if
necessary.
What is absolutely essential to have on the board are members that
care about the school, believe in its mission, and are excited about
helping it grow to its next level. Without that support from the
board, our school staff will be unable to fully deliver the program we
have envisioned. Therefore, if you are looking for a challenging but
extremely rewarding way to become involved with the school, contact a
board member near you to let them know of your interest. They are Jon
Stagnitti (j.stagnitti@fgcschool.org), Alejandro Tecum
(a.tecum@fgcschoolorg) and Janet Taylor (j.taylor@fgcschool.org).
Better yet, attend the next board meeting at 7 p.m. Tues., Oct. 21st
at school to find out more about getting involved.
In closing, I want to say that it has been my greatest pleasure to
work with all of you of who have been involved in the development of
this amazing school. These past years, though often intense, have
been extremely rewarding and I thank all of you who have already given
so much to this endeavor. Though my involvement in the school will
now be mainly through my kids, I'm looking forward to another great
year for the school and everyone in it.
Terry O'Day
