Page 8 - November 2020 WCA Ketch Pen

HEADQUARTERS
From Your EVP
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With cooling temperatures and fall landscapes abounding in the view of my windshield, I’ve found myself balanced by warm, fond thoughts of a challenging but rewarding summer experience with the WCA. And I would be remiss if I didn’t give due credit to outgoing WCA President, Sam Ledgerwood, for ensuring my start at WCA was off on the right foot.
To be honest, I was a little wary of Sam at first! He is a commanding presence, has a limitless knowledge
base, and an almost crippling handshake. I learned almost immediately he was not a man of pretense and it’s
one of the things I respect most about him. As I fumbled through agency acronyms, Sam was gracious. As
I mispronounced “Pend Oreille” Sam was gracious. But he was NOT without high expectations because he
knew our WCA membership deserved the very best in all of us as staff and as volunteer leaders. It is our job to represent you well on the issues that directly affect your operations and livelihoods. I know Sam understands that with the same humbled seriousness that I do. We found kinship in our understanding of that commitment early on and I so appreciate his attitude (and by extension, leadership) as President. Of all the great Sam Ledgerwood aphoristic remarks, “Get them to put that in writing!” is the one I know will stick with me (and ring in my ears, too) in my toolbox as Executive Vice President. Sam never backs down from holding folks accountable; however, he’s gracious enough to give them ample opportunity to do the right thing of their own accord. There’s no better quality, in my mind, for a WCA President.
It is a great privilege to have Sam as President and now Past-President. I want to say thank you to Sheree and Sam’s family for graciously “lending” us Sam these recent years. Especially to Sheree, thanks for being so nice to me every time I called and you had to track Sam down or call him in from the field. I appreciate your commitment to the WCA.
Sam, I know I owe you an immeasurable debt of gratitude for your patience and guidance these past few months. I hope to mirror your loyalty to the WCA and I am indeed better at this craft because of the time I’ve spent learning from you. I know you will enjoy some well-earned and deserved time with the grandkids; but try not to send me directly to voicemail when I call you the first week of December!
Ketch Pen www.washingtoncattlemen.org
November 2020