New Leaders Emerge to Keep IATC Alive
(Ed. Note: This article from the winter 2008 Alpiner was written to illustrate the effect of deaths by club leaders as well as the resiliency of IATC.
By Doug Simpson
Just a few years ago, I was the new guy in the club. Because I had some ideas, I was reluctantly rushed into the club presidency before I was comfortable with the responsibility. After all, this was the club that had built its status and reputation through the efforts of giants like Harvey Manning, Bill Longwell, Jack Hornung, Ralph Owen, Dave Kappler, Ken Konigsmark, Steve Drew and many other outstanding leaders. Who was I to step into their shoes after just one year on the IATC board?
No longer president after four years in that office, am now third in seniority on the board—after Konigsmark and Scott Semans. In recent years three of our giants have passed away, in order Hornung, Manning and Longwell. Others have moved away or retired. How can a small club like IATC survive such losses?
One thing life has taught me is that no one is indispensable. After several years of leadership from Konigsmark and Drew, somehow with their help I managed to keep the club functioning at a fairly high level. Now we are led by Steve Williams, who stepped up as I did when the need arose. IATC is indeed fortunate to have Steve as its president after his twenty-plus years of experience as manager of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. He brings valuable knowledge and new ideas that are revitalizing the club.
Similarly, when Fred Zeitler stepped down as hikes coordinator after year of exemplary leadership, the club seemed to have a serious crisis on its hands. No one person could or would do all that Fred had been doing, but a trio of capable and caring members—Jackie Hughes, Melinda Livingstone and Joe Toynbee—took on the task and have done stellar work.
David Langrock and Sue Johnson were both very capable webmasters for the club, but needed to step down. And now Richard Amadei has taken control of the website (issaquahalps.org) and promises to further improve the efforts of his predecessors.
You get the idea. We’re a little like the mythological hydra-headed monster. Lop off one head and another grows back. The recent losses of Manning and Longwell were very great ones to endure. But the Issaq uah Alps Trails Club is a strong organization that countless people care about. When the need arises for new blood—and it will from time to time—there is always someone to step up take care of business.