Introducing the WVD Planning Team

Who are these women? The specific answer first: In the back row, left to right, Waltraud Beckmann, Carrie [Schroeck] Ypma, Lois Maassen, Avril Wiers, and Cheryl Murdoch; in the front, Marcia Davis, Cindy DeGraaf, and Sue Gadbois.

More generally, we are women who've had the privilege of knowing one another through intersections in our careers (except Avril, who has a family connection). We discovered common values in a couple of areas:

• Issues facing women and children everywhere, but especially within our community, where we feel some ability to pitch in
  
• The power and joy of working together to make a difference
  
• The belief that women can support each other, across many divides that we sometimes let stop us too easily, if we tend to our networks
  

2008 is the seventh year we're undertaking this project together. During those seven years, we've sent children off to elementary school and college, changed jobs, gotten married, graduated from high school, retired, and so much more. It's been a pleasure to share it with one another.