NASGA NEWS – February 19, 2015
by Valerie Weston, President, NASGA
With the new year, NASGA has transitioned to a new board of directors, and the board has taken some time to reflect on what the association has been able to accomplish for the sea glass community; what we have learned from the successes as well as those efforts that may not have gone as planned. Along with the support of the commercial members, the board takes its stewardship of the sea glass community seriously. We continue to foster the same passion for genuine sea glass and are proud that we have created a fun and civilized space to share that enthusiasm with each other on many different levels. Please take a minute to “meet” the NASGA Board of Directors on the NASGA website.
The NASGA social network, NING, is always free of charge and is a “non-commercial” space open to all collectors of genuine sea glass to associate with one another. The membership has risen to over 3,000. The NASGA Facebook is growing in popularity as well. In 2014, we began a blog and have big plans to expand that avenue of communication going forward. The NASGA website continues to draw interest from around the globe as the premier site for genuine sea glass enthusiasts. All of these channels of sea glass community outreach are now being coordinated by a newly created Communications Committee as we continue to explore ways to keep our message fresh, relevant, and consistent.
The NASGA website homepage contains links to join in all of these ways to share with the sea glass community.
As we kick into high gear on the planning of the 2015 North American Sea Glass Festival, we are keeping in mind that it will be the tenth festival, the first being held in 2006. Plans are under way to make it memorable – for only positive reasons. It will be held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland on August 29 & 30. The festival will take place in the 24,000 square foot Bayfront Ballroom on the second level, plus additional space for lectures. The entire east side of the Ballroom is a glass wall that overlooks the Isle of Wight Bay. We can assure you that there is ample space for attendees, ample free parking, food and beverages on site, excellent educational presentations, and the most talented sea glass artisans and authors on the planet whose commitment to NASGA’s mission is supported through membership.
Please make plans to join us for our tenth sea glass festival celebration in Ocean City. We will keep you updated with all the latest news on the festival planning through our website festival page, and through the NASGA Festival Facebook page.
We would like to close by thanking all of the NASGA board members who have worked so hard on behalf of the genuine sea glass community from the association’s inception in 2007. We thank Christeena Minopetros and Suegray Fitspatrick whose board terms ended in 2014 but whose commitment continues on the committee level. Founding member and President Richard LaMotte’s board term also ended in 2014. He had served on the board since its inception, and we express heartfelt appreciation for his leadership, commitment, and passion for the sea glass community for so many years.
Valerie Weston, President
On behalf of the NASGA Board of Directors