News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
After six years at the helm of the world's largest outdoor quilt show, Jeanette Pilak is retiring.
Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show announced today that Pilak will officially retire from her six-year post as executive director effective December 31. Pilak has been in the role of executive director since 2013, directing five successful Quilt Shows which annually attract more than 10,000 visitors to Sisters from all 50 states and two-dozen foreign countries.
In her resignation statement, Pilak noted that she is looking forward to assisting the board and a successor.
Pilak told The Nugget that it was a comfortable and appropriate moment in which to make a transition.
"The show is in a really good financial position," she said. "We had a really good year. I wanted to give as much notice as possible."
Pilak emphasized that she is not leaving the community and looks forward to more hiking, cycling and enjoyment of the mountains, as well as volunteering in the community.
"I plan to continue to be a good citizen of Sisters, so I'll be volunteering and sticking around," she said.
Pilak said her considerable energies will be devoted in large part to volunteering at Harmony Farm Animal Sanctuary, where her love for animals can be manifested.
Pilak is particularly proud of the special exhibits the Quilt Show has staged in recent years, "that really allowed us to create relationships with quilters in all 50 states."
Those exhibits included the 2014 Quilted in Honor by Island Batik. The national exhibit raised funds for Operation Homefront. The exhibit in Sisters raised $4,000 for Central Oregon veterans. In 2015, the show offered a 40th Anniversary Celebration of SOQS Honored Quilters from 1975-2015.
Quilt Show founder and board member Jean Wells Keenan said, "We are so appreciative of Jeanette's work in serving as the face of the quilt show in the community these past years, and all that she has done to help develop Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show as a nonprofit organization. Working with Jeanette we expect a smooth transition to new leadership and then continuing to implement initiatives in our strategic plan as well as a successful 44th annual show on July 13, 2019."
The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show presents unique challenges in creating financial stability, since the event is free and open to the public and costs about $200,000 to stage. Achieving that financial stability is a signal accomplishment for the organization. One of the Quilt Show's fundraising activities has become a phenomenon in its own right.
They've sold more than 10,000 Men Behind the Quilt Calendars worldwide in 2015, 2017, and 2019, raising more than $74,000.
Along the way, the Quilt Show established the SOQS Scholarship Fund for Sisters High School and an SOQS Endowment Fund.
Pilak said that it has been interesting to have a close-up view of the evolution of the show and the quilting industry. Technology has played a role in both. Computer databases have replaced binders of volunteer files and instructions, and machine quilting is no longer looked at askance.
"Technology is gaining more acceptance among traditional quilters, which brings all kinds of new designs," Pilak said.
The fabric industry is changing, with hand-dyed and sustainable fabrics becoming more and more prominent.
"I think that really speaks to our community and the Quilt Show," Pilak said.
Pilak emphasized the importance of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Board of Directors in the ongoing and future success of the enterprise.
"We have a very engaged and active board," she said. "I couldn't have left without the very dedicated board we have currently."
That board will be seeking a new executive director to start in January. Application details will be posted at http://www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org. Nonprofit consultant Jan McGowan, a former board member of Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, will assist the board in the recruitment and selection process. She can be reached at [email protected]
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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