Greetings everyone! The OCWS has been busy continuing the work of our organization. Our office staff, Lynda Edwards and Rochelle Randel, have been working remotely to answer emails and provide support to our Board of Directors, Event Chairs and wineries. If you need assistance, please send an email to Office@ocws.org.
Working together, Charles English our bookkeeper, Mel Jay, Treasurer, and Dave Stancil, Finance Committee Chair have been paying our bills and monitoring our finances. Over the years, wise and prudent leadership in the organization allowed us to build up our reserves to weather these difficult times. I am pleased to report that as a result, we are in sound financial shape.
I have been working monthly with the OCFEC staff to schedule future events through 2021. We have been able to gain access to our office and cellar on a monthly basis to ensure that they are safe and secure. Like most of us individually, the OCFEC is waiting on guidance from state and local authorities that will allow activities to resume. As with businesses and wineries throughout the state, everyone is eager to resume operations when it is safe to do so. This year the Annual Business Meeting will most likely need to be done “virtually.” We are in the process of working on the logistics and will provide more details as the meeting, scheduled for September 11, gets closer.
This summer, the OC Fair is Going Virtual! The OCWS has been invited to be part of this virtual event and Sara Yeoman, Director, is working towards providing video content in July 2020. We are also working on a number of “virtual” events starting at the end of June for our membership. Please look for these events which will be posted on our website from the main menu Zoom Seminars.
It is once again time to invite our membership to become members of our Board of Directors. Please see Greg Hagadorn’s article and consider running for the Board this year. As the candidates declare, we will be posting their candidate statements on the OCWS website. Cheers,
– Bill Redding, President