Caring Community
Gerry Felski: Past-president of NSA-NE, sadly passed away after a very long battle with liver cancer. He is survived by his wife Kathy and two adult children. Their address is: 24 Windsor Drive, Merrimack, NH 03054.
At Gerry's wake, the family had a slide show of all the wonderful family memories of Gerry over the years. But there were two that struck me and made me realize just how much NSA is like a family to all of us. The first was a picture of Gerry holding a microphone. It was a classic Gerry Felski pose. The second was a picture of Gerry with the legendary Zig Ziglar. A relative told me that Gerry took Zig's sales trainer course over twenty years ago and it was the impetus to him starting his own sales training company.
A couple of days ago, I came across a casette tape that was produced ten years ago by former NSA New England member, Bob Higgins. It was back when we were called NESA and the tape series was then named Voices of Success. On it, Bob interviewed Gerry Felski during Gerry's last month of his role as our President. The topic was Overcoming Obstacles and Gerry's theme for that year had been Growing Great Speakers. During the interview, Gerry talked about the power of our members to help us get through and overcome our own challenges and obstacles in running a speaking business. Then he went on to say that the love and support of his wife Kathy had been the most important thing in his life to help him keep going no matter what. I mailed it to Kathy yesterday.
National Member Outreach:
The NSA New England Board of Directors voted unanimously to join the NSA Hurricane Relief Fund efforts, and donated $10,000.00 of the NSA - New England Reserve Fund. The money will go directly to fellow NSA members who have lost their homes, businesses and even their clients.
The NSA Foundation has established a hurricane relief fund for those NSA members impacted by Katrina. We will be publishing the shopping cart web site for people to make contributions to the fund very soon. People may send or call in donations to the NSA foundation. When people send in the donation it will go to the foundation restricted specifically for use in relief of NSA members in need due to the hurricane. Checks can be made out to the NSA Foundation Hurricane Relief Fund and sent to NSA Headquarters, 1500 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281 or if you would like to make an immediate contribution with a credit card, please follow this link to a secure payment system https://www.nsaspeaker.org/information/nsa_gear.xpl. Or email NSA at housing@nsaspeaker.org if you can provide temporary housing.
Please keep the following NSA-NE members in your thoughts and prayers:
Nancy Michaels: Nancy has been through quite an ordeal. This past spring she was admitted to the hospital after a month-long illness. She was diagnosed with an infection in her liver and needed immediate surgery and received a liver transplant. It was very touch and go for quite a while and at one point Nancy was in a coma.
She has finally been released from the hospital and is recuperating at her brother's house in Fitchburg. But she is still very weak and nauseous and still needs our love, prayers and support. I have set up a webpage to keep everyone updated at www.caringbridge.com. When you visit the site, click on "Visit a Site" and then type in nancymichaels into the site box. You can read updates there from her assistant, Brittany. I just updated it today (10/17) and you can post a note to Nancy in the journal section.
Nancy has requested that in lieu of gifts or flowers, she'd prefer that you send a small donation to The International Association of Organ Donation. Donations can be made online at www.iaod.org (click on the "contribute" tab), or through the mail to The International Association for Organ Donation, PO Box 545, Dearborn, MI 48121-0545.
Karen Galvin: Karen was unable to assume her role of president of NSA New England this year due to her own ordeal with illness and health challenges. Karen missed the entire month of February 2005 as she lay in a diabetic coma. When she emerged from the coma, she had some numbing sensations throughout the trunk of her body and has since been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
For those of you who know Karen, you know that she is a strong-willed fighter and she is determined to battle this disease and be well.
It was Karen's vision and leadership that inspired the Catalytic Converter focus for my theme this year. Karen wanted her presidential theme to be The Year of Implentation. So the best thing you can do for Karen right now is to get busy and turn all of your great ideas into action! I know she'd enjoy hearing from you and read all about the many ideas that you converted and implemented in your business. Send your notes, cards and conversions to Karen at: P.O. Box 20848, Rochester, NY 14602.
Bob Arnold: Bob was our NSA New England Treasurer last year, but needed to step down and have surgery for a hip replacement. Bob welcomes your cards and well wishes. Send to: 27 Bunker Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Larry Brudnicki: Our Treasurer is a new Grandfather!! His daughter had a boy on August 1st. Noel Timothy Parmenter... 6 lbs. 9 oz.....19 1/2 inches.
Robert Siciliano and his wife Maureen are expecting their first child!
Please feel free to email me your own personal requests for care and support: Inspire@KathleenHassan.com
I would also ask that you take a moment and say a prayer for the current board of directors, that we may serve our chapter with integrity, leadership, vision and most importantly good health.
In the spirit of a caring community,
Kathleen Hassan