January 17, 2016
Dear Friends to the Jacob Leisler Institute,
It gives me great pleasure as we start a new calendar year to look back at the Institute’s first year of existence and recall all of our accomplishments. We can be proud that, with your help, we are “off the ground and running” and looking forward to the New Year where we will, and must, continue to address our challenges and advance our mission. I should note that Board Member Ruth Piwonka’s experience with start-up processes was invaluable. We are very fortunate to have not only generous financial givers like you, but also dedicated and talented volunteers like Ruth and others.
We welcomed two new members to our Board in 2015, Charles Zabriskie Jr., Past President of The Holland Society of New York, and Kevin Hannan, a Corporate Learning Officer for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, both of whom have already stepped up to provide sound advice and other support. And we are particularly grateful to Kees-Jan Waterman for helping us to refine our fundraising strategy. We need to put those principles into play this year!
Director Dr. David William Voorhees and I have urged all members of our Board to continue to be mindful of the Institute’s needs and to keep its best interests at heart. We hope that you, as well, our much-appreciated donors, will also continue to keep our needs in mind. In particular, we must all keep an eye out for potential members/supporters in age groups that promise future guardians of our mission will be there when needed!
I wish you all a very Happy New Year and a healthy and stable 2016 throughout.
Yours truly,
Firth Fabend
Firth H. Fabend
President