Writing to members in my last weeks as Chair of the IPEd Board is difficult. These last five years have been amazing – a challenging time, a joyous time. And lots of hard work.
It has been a real privilege to have led the IPEd Board through the organisation’s transition to a truly national body – and now international – standing on the shoulders of those giants, the former societies of editors around Australia.
I thank all members of the IPEd Board, standing committees, working parties and branch committees, past and present, for their generosity, dedication and hard work on behalf of members. I also thank the staff of IPEd, especially CEO Karen Lee and Board Administrator and Membership Officer Nicole Mathers, who have been with us since 2016, as well as Tay Winchester and more recent staff members, Erin Rundle and Kate Tilley.
Much has been achieved, and there is still much to do, as always. We now have an almost entirely new Board of Directors, who will elect a new Chair at its meeting of 25 May. They bring an array of talents and skills, and are well equipped to lead IPEd through the next phase in building on our strengths and continuing to improve our service to members.
Thinking back over these years, I was reminded of a word of advice I received from a former Chair of the Board when facing a difficult situation early in my tenure: take courage.
To quote Sister Jennifer Worth, in the dulcet tones of Vanessa Redgrave, ‘Courage cannot move mountains, but it can show us how to climb, find a way, forge a path that we believe in. Emboldened, we stand firm, knowing where we stand, where we’re headed and where we can belong.’
Kerry Davies AE
Chair, IPEd Board