• E-news, July 2009

Annual Meeting recap

The annual meeting of Museum members, on Saturday, June 13, was well attended, with some 75 members on hand to receive their copies of the 2008 Annual Report, hear a review of the Museum's activities and finances for the year, and cast their votes for new Trustees and Executive Board members.

Board president Professor Jaroslaw Leshko kicked off the meeting by paying tribute to the ten-year tenure of former Board president Olha Hnateyko, who had steered the institution through a decade of significant growth, culminating in its move to a large, newly built, state-of-the-art facility where it is able to mount several exhibitions simultaneously and to present a broad range of public and educational programs. He continued with a review of the Museum's activities in 2008, beginning with the negative effects of the economic crisis, which increased the Museum's focus on controlling costs and heightened its dependence on members and supporters. Professor Leshko stressed the need to expand fundraising and, when finances permit, to hire a public relations professional to enhance the Museum's image and presence in the American and international communities. He also pointed to the importance of public programs and e-news in attracting a wider audience for the Museum's ongoing work and exhibitions.

Museum director Maria Shust then described the exhibitions that took place in 2008, many of them drawn from the Museum's collections, and several from recent important additions to the collections. She also noted the expanded activities and programs throughout the year, and concluded by thanking the Museum's supporters, her small staff for their dedication and hard work, and the institution's volunteers for their invaluable contributions to its success.

Rounding out the Annual Meeting were reports by treasurer Roma Shuhan (who focused on the toll being taken by the economic crisis) and Audit Committee chairwoman Nadia Cwiach (who recommended that the Museum institute budgetary and financial planning and develop a broader range of fundraising sources). The reports were followed by a lively question-and-answer session.

The meeting concluded with the re-election of Professor Leshko as president of the Board and a vote for new Board members. Two new Trustees were elected: Lubomyr O. Zielyk as a member-at-large on the Executive Board and Olha Yarema Wynar as a member of the General Board. Zoriana Haftkowycz moved from the General Board to the Executive Board to take over as treasurer from Roma Shuhan, who chose to return to the General Board. The complete slate of Board members now stands as follows:

Executive Board
Professor Jaroslaw Leshko, President
Marianna Zajac, Vice-President
Maria Tomorug, Vice-President
Andrew Lencyk, Esq., Vice-President
Zoriana Haftkowycz, Treasurer
Orysia Dmytrenko, Secretary
Zirka Voronka, Secretary
Orest Glut, Member-at-Large
Mykola Haliv, Member-at-Large
Lubomyr O. Zielyk, Member-at-Large

Trustees
Nicolas Andreadis
Mark Bach
Adam Hapij
Sophia Hewryk
Lilya Kalat
Alla Kuchinsky
Motria Kuzycz, Esq.
Yaroslawa Luchechko
Chrystyna Melnyk
Rostislav Milanytch
Roma Shuhan
Natalia Sonevytsky
Olga Stawnychy
Oksana Trytjak
Olha Yarema Wynar

The membership also voted to re-elect the members of the Audit Committee:

Audit Committee
Nadia Cwiach, Chair
Ihor Hayda
Roman Sorobay
Marianne Woloszyn
Lidia Zaininger

Following the meeting, members were treated to cake and coffee courtesy of the Board of Trustees' Special Events Committee, under the chairmanship of Yaroslawa Luchechko.

About the Museum
The Ukrainian Museum was founded in 1976 by the Ukrainian National Women's League of America as a showcase for Ukrainian culture. Over the past 32 years, the Museum has amassed extensive collections of folk art, fine art, and archival material. It mounts several exhibitions annually; publishes accompanying bilingual catalogues; organizes courses, workshops, and other educational programs; and hosts a variety of public events. In April 2005 the Museum moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility in New York's East Village, funded entirely by the Ukrainian American community.