by Don Langlie
In early 2011, I received a call from Carol Wilbur (President, 2013-14) about an opening on the RPMDA Board. Carol, having been a mentor of mine (and as gracious a person as anyone I have ever had the pleasure of knowing), made a pretty convincing case! I was, of course, flattered to be asked…and immediately responded with “You bet, I would love to help!”
While Carol was a little short on details in that first call, knowing the tremendous amount of instruction and inspiration I found at my previous 11 RPMDA conventions, the details didn’t matter. However, as I began my tenure, I realized that planning a convention is a lot of work! You see, the board does not have a “staff,” so much of the minutia of implementing a convention falls on this dedicated group of people. (Insert shout-out to MadCrouch and Company here. It would be IMPOSSIBLE without their help and guidance!) All in all, this has been a 9-year labor of love for an organization intent on doing right by its membership.
I didn’t embark on this journey with aspirations of changing the fundamentals of the organization…there were VERY capable individuals who preceded me in this role with a clear picture of what RPMDA needs to be: An organization that offers the best sessions relevant to the buying and selling of print music, maintains an atmosphere of congeniality and respect among dealers and publishers, and exposes the needs of each so they can be addressed in a constructive manner. While times have changed, these guiding principles continue to drive the discussions and planning of this organization.
The challenges and uncertainties we all face cannot be overcome by hiding and hoping. RPMDA offers an opportunity to work through the difficulties, create opportunities, and make the most of your print department…whatever the size. Please join us in New Orleans this spring as we continue to define the future of print!
Sincerely,
Don Langlie
Popplers Music, Inc.
RPMDA, Past President