President’s Address Heather Marie Wells

semc president’s address

Dear SEMC Friends,

I had planned on this letter being all about how excited Northwest Arkansas (NWAR) is to be hosting SEMC 2022 (which We ARE!) and all the hard work that has been happening to get the conference planned (everyone is doing PHENOMENAL work!), but something happened to change my mind.

Around 4:00 am on Wednesday March 30 most of the NWAR region was awoken by tornado sirens. I am certain this has been the first time we have had to take shelter since our three-year-old twins were infants. It was not the most pleasant experience (picture two adults, two toddlers, and a Scottish terrier in a small laundry room), there were tears, but no tantrums and the storm could have been a lot worse. We were only there for about 30 minutes and Ryan decided to snap a picture. The girls never went back to sleep.

I arrived at work with the largest cup of hot chocolate I could find and expected it to be a grueling day given the way it started. Then I saw the news about how a tornado had hit sections of Springdale, Johnson, and Fayetteville (it has since been classified as an F3). I immediately posted Ryan’s photo with a message that although we were ok, we were concerned about our community, and I started checking in with friends and colleagues in the area. In less than 10 minutes I was getting Facebook messages, emails, and phone calls from SEMC members. “Glad you and your family are ok, does anyone need help?” There were offers of help from all over the SEMC region. On behalf of the NWAR museum community, I want to say how grateful we are for the outpouring of support from the SEMC community. Messages came in throughout the day and into the week. What I thought was going to be a tough day was made so much brighter because of all of you. That’s one of the countless reasons this group is so special, we really do support each other in myriad special ways.

The NWAR museum community was incredibly lucky and did not have any significant issues with our facilities—although in the tornado’s path, a local school lost its gym, about 60 houses were destroyed, and there were seven injuries. It could have been so much worse, and we are thankful it was not. I would like to encourage you all to take the time to go over your disaster plans — both for your institutions and for your own homes. Being prepared will help us focus on the beauty spring brings.

Appreciatively, — Heather Marie Wells, SEMC President