President’s Letter
By: Leslie Martien
Dear USAWE Members,
It is time to bid you all farewell and help you welcome our incoming president, Barbara Miller Price. Barbara is a seasoned board member and will do a wonderful job leading USAWE as the organization enters its second year.
I can’t thank you all enough for the support you have provided as I navigated the challenging process of learning to be president of a national organization. There were times when I was convinced I’d bitten off more than I could chew; nothing in all of my years of working prepared me for the complexity of the task of being president. From setting up bank accounts to dealing with the IRS, from watching committees expand on existing programs to creating new committees to support the organization, from the mundane to the complex, this has been an incredibly gratifying year but one that has certainly felt overwhelming at times.
None of this would have been possible without the remarkable team of people who have served with me on the board and the committees who work tirelessly behind the scenes to track our awards, license our shows, educate our licensed officials, certify our coaches, prepare our taxes, market our organization, record your horses, create the newsletter, maintain the website, and make sure that we’re all adhering to the highest standards.
I have learned to value the Zoom meetings that have consumed many hours this year – those meetings have given me the opportunity to get to know so many of my fellow working equitation enthusiasts. Despite never having met in person I feel as though I’ve developed lasting friendships all over the country.
While there is much that I will miss about being on the USAWE board, I’m looking forward to working behind the scenes on some of the committees – there is much still to be done. And I’m hoping to get my horse trained well enough that perhaps, one of these days, you and I can be friendly competitors at a working equitation show. In the meantime, welcome our new board members, continue to share your ideas, help where you can, and spread the word about working equitation and USAWE!
Leslie Martien
USAWE President
