Greetings all,
As I write my final letter to all of you I am filled with gratitude. Take a look at the election ballot. We have a new group of people ready to get involved and many with experience ready to continue serving. 
NBS is of course an all-volunteer organization, remunerated only by the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile and the occasional ‘thank you’. Additionally, most of us live our lives closely attuned to a production calendar which means we get the show up and then we get caught up on the rest of life just in time for the push on the next show. Naturally the organization seems to move ahead in fits and starts. I can’t say thank you enough to Brian Bjorklund and Jean Montgomery. They have been the dependable heartbeat of NBS with the funding and the newsletter to keep things going.
We do a lot of great things in this section with education, net-working, and scholarship support. For me the networking is the most rewarding aspect. This office has helped me to meet and work with people in my field across the region which is critical function to those of us who work in far-flung places. But involvement with USITT and NBS has also had a profound impact on the students at my school. It has opened minds, opened doors and helped them to envision possibilities for lives in theatre.
There has been a call from the membership for more input, involvement and opportunities for members in the professional sector. I believe we have taken a solid step in that direction in this election. I look forward to further development in spanning the academic/professional gap.
Elections will be held during the membership meeting at Kansas City (8am Thursday -- BYOD: bring your own donut). The floor will be open for additional nominations. If you can’t join us in Kansas, please vote via e-mail before that morning.
Thanks for the opportunity to work with this fine group of people.
- rooth