Advancement Board Chair Report
By Kevin Schofield
My term as Chair of FHL's Advancement Board is coming to an end, and I find myself reflecting on how much change has occurred at the Labs over the last three years. Of course the biggest change has been our new Director, Dr. Billie Swalla, who has now settled into her position and is driving new initiatives. Among those are renovations to buildings and facilities on campus, as well as catching up on deferred maintenance on the research vessel Centennial. We also have a new center for imaging at Friday Harbor Labs, and the new marine biology major at UW will soon bring additional relevance to the Labs.
I’m also happy with some things that have remained constant over time: world-class teaching and research, a strong focus on students, and the Advancement Board’s continued and consistent support — especially for students.
Looking forward, I’m delighted that Dr. Flo McAlary has taken over as Chair in mid-May. Flo’s long involvement with the Labs and domain expertise will help her lead us forward as we look to participate in the University’s fundraising efforts and further capital projects on campus, as well as to continue our strong support for student learning.
I continue to be interested in helping to grow the FHL’s visibility in Seattle. In fact, in early summer I will be hosting an event at my Seattle home, both to introduce new people to Friday Harbor Labs and to re-connect with its old friends.
I am inspired by the new leadership, new initiatives, and new relevance of FHL and its future is surely bright. Realizing that potential will continue to require our support, but it’s an investment on our part that is clearly demonstrating results.
