Letter from the Editor
T
his issue’s cover story is all about gratitude. Members from our Provisional, Active and Sustaining classes share what they most appreciate about Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) and the wider community. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the League and the opportunities I have enjoyed to develop leadership skills, learn even more about our community’s needs, and collaborate with and learn from like-minded women. The Women’s Leadership Summit Committee deserves special thanks for their tireless efforts to make the Summit a success despite the year’s ongoing obstacles. The keynote speaker, opening plenary and breakout sessions offered both inspiration and practical advice in a time where both are greatly needed but often in short supply. I personally appreciated all the speakers’ candor in addressing challenges women face in leadership positions today. One pearl of wisdom I took — and desperately needed to hear — from the breakout session I attended is that while we should aspire for greatness, perfection is not the standard we must live up to; perfection can, in fact, be the enemy of our full potential. With such great discussion, advice and networking, the Summit was truly an enjoyable experience, and I look forward to seeing what they have in store for us next year. This year’s Board of Directors is also to be commended for its rapid response to aid people impacted by Hurricane Laura. Members orchestrated a last-minute disaster relief campaign in the midst of a pandemic to ensure that people who left the Lake Charles area with only the clothes on their backs had the basic necessities they needed to get back on their feet after the storm. The clothes and diapers the League sent to the Convention Center served as a small but meaningful token of reciprocity that our city could offer our neighbors in Southwest Louisiana for the support they offered us during Katrina fifteen years ago. Finally, although it does not appear in this issue, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee selected disability employment awareness as the focus of its recent quarterly training, which is an issue near and dear to my heart. I was excited to participate in the panel discussion and am encouraged by the DEI Committee’s commitment to considering a variety of voices in pursuit of its mission. Such endeavors represent the very best that JLNO has to offer.
Photo by: Jessica Bachmann
With gratitude,
Sonia Godfrey 2020-2021 Lagniappe Editor
jlno.org
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