High Country News has been blessed with a dedicated, ever-changing group of volunteers who have helped us navigate the tricky waters of the rapidly changing West for five decades now. They make up our Board of Directors, and we honor them all — past, present and future.
We were saddened to hear that Farwell Smith of Big Timber, Montana, who served on HCN’s board in the 1990s, passed away in June at the age of 94. Farwell, the first member who truly understood finances and fundraising, was instrumental in creating a small financial reserve for HCN. He enlivened many a board meeting with his wicked sense of humor; as a young man, he and his Harvard roommate, writer George Plimpton, crashed the Boston Marathon. According to the Bozeman Chronicle, Farwell ducked in just before the finish line, sprinting to finish third before jumping into a getaway car driven by Plimpton.
Brian Beitner, who steps down from the board this month after four years, has continued in Farwell’s footsteps: As chair of both the Finance and Fundraising committees, he has revamped HCN’s investment strategies and encouraged the organization to develop a more systematic approach to major donor work — putting the “fun” back in fundraising, as he’s often quipped. It has paid off splendidly — we are completing a successful 50th Anniversary Campaign — and we will miss Brian’s leadership.
This month, we are delighted to announce the most recent additions, voted in at our June board meeting:
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This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Our never boring board.
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