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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2019)
14 Wednesday, April 17, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Quilt Show director guiding event into the future By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Dawn Boyd says that she doesn9t consider her- self a <serious= quilter. But she9s very serious indeed about shepherding the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) into the future. The new SOQS executive director is a trained, profes- sional organizational leader and event manager. <That9s what I went to school for, that9s my passion, that9s my skill set,= she told The Nugget. Boyd found her calling as an organizational leader and an event manager in a natural progression, out of activities with her daughters in school in Grants Pass. <I9d volunteer for some- thing and find out the next year I9d ended up in a leader- ship role,= she recalled. One of those volunteer roles was running the Grants Pass Marching Band Competition. She had been working as a middle school paraprofes- sional, but event management exerted a powerful pull. <I kind of got bit by the bug that I wanted to do (that) professionally,= she said. She graduated from George Fox University with a degree in management and organiza- tional leadership 4 and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show came calling. It seemed like an ideal opportunity for Boyd. <I had been to the show a couple of years with my mom,= she recalled. When Boyd accepted the position at the end of last year, the SOQS board of directors reported that a state- wide search was conducted, and several promising can- didates were interviewed. Jan McGowan of Nonprofit Consulting who helped the board with the search and selection process noted <how fortunate we were to find Dawn with such an extraor- dinary skill set that so closely matched to the unique require- ments of this organization.= The Quilt Show is an unusual event in that it is held in downtown Sisters and there is no charge for admis- sion. The show evolved out of local enthusiasm for the craft of quilting and has grown over four decades to be an interna- tionally recognized event. <There9s such a beautiful history to it,= Boyd said. Boyd sees her role as stew- ardship of the legacy of SOQS 4 and positioning the organi- zation and event for the future. <I9m just taking what I inherited and just want to refine it, fine tune it (and pass it on) in even better condi- tion than it is right now,= she said. <One of the aspects of that is to bring it into the next generation.= To that end, Boyd hopes to Let us show you how much you can save this year! Call 541-588-6245, for a free quote! 257 S. Pine St., #101 www.farmersagent.com/jrybka Auto • Home • Life • Business Come celebrate the source of our HOPE Easter Sunrise Service 8 a.m. (Outdoors) Easter Breakfast 8:30-9:45 a.m. (Free) Easter Worship Celebration 10 a.m. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 386 N. Fir St., Sisters Pastor Ron Gregg, 541-549-5831 www.shepherdofthehillslutheranchurch.com create an immersive sensory experience that can be enjoyed by whole families. <It9s not just an event that we host, but it9s an experience for everyone for that day,= she said. One of the key aspects of SOQS is that it operates almost entirely on the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. It9s a huge job. As board chair Jeff Omodt put it: <It9s a tough business model to ask any manager to coordinate. Sustained by year-round fun- draising and planning we put on a one-day event featuring 1,200 quilts from around the world, hung and taken down the same day, taking over the entire town. With paid staff of only three and hundreds of volunteers, we deliver an event that will dazzle the more than 10,000 visitors with the awe and wonder of quilt art ... simple, right?= Boyd says she balances the intensity of the job <with just a lot of nice, quiet downtime& Give me a Marvel movie on Netflix and I9m a happy camper.= The grandmother of five with a sixth on its way, she spends a lot of her off time Facetiming with family. Her husband Jeff is still in Grants Pass. He visits regularly while anticipating retiring from his municipal job soon and mov- ing to Sisters. Boyd has found the Quilt Show family and the Sisters community at large most welcoming. <It9s amazing,= she said. <The volunteers and the board and the people in the community (have been) so immensely supportive& It9s “GET WARM, STAY COOL, BE HAPPY” Save up to $ 1,200 on a Carrier system PHOTO PROVIDED Dawn Boyd has the reins in hand at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. been wonderful. It9s a wonder- ful community.= The SOQS is set for Saturday, July 13. For more information visit www.sisters outdoorquiltshow.org. THINKING ABOUT DUCTLESS? ASK ABOUT BUY ONE E HEAD, GET THE SECOND Expires 6-30-19 FREE! Expires 5-31-19 Proudly serving Central Oregon since 1953 For information call 541-382-1231 www.BendHeating.com