FOMF President’s Message – by Steve Vanier
You are the reason we exist. As your new volunteer President, my job has been made so much easier by your dedication to service. Chris Meinicke contacted me to volunteer in 2015. The past 5 years have been extraordinary for both myself and FOMF.
Your determination to remain flexible and your cooperative spirit has helped all our past presidents, FS personnel and now myself. The Multnomah Falls Lodge management and staff have also been helpful to our volunteers providing a needed place to eat, place to park or a ride to the Lodge on their shuttle van. We are blessed with their partnership. The Federal and Oregon State agencies charged with administering Multnomah Falls and its surrounds, have had many challenges too, such as providing safety on the roads, traffic flow, trails and parking lots. They did a great job despite all the challenges with limited budgets.
Your accomplishments and service inspire me. We, “Friends of Multnomah Falls” are a diverse mix, which is most apt, as we serve a diverse clientele. Among our members are direct descendants of Oregon and Washington pioneers, Native Americans and First-Generation Americans. We are America. The bulk of us are retired from careers but not retired from life. We extend ourselves into the world, giving of our experiences, our love of the outdoors and our love of Multnomah Falls. It’s so much fun, I feel a bit guilty about writing so much about ourselves. We do not have to do this; we get to do this. Wow!
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for letting your own lights shine in support of our mission: “. . . preserving and enhancing the unique natural, scenic and historic qualities of Multnomah Falls while providing a memorable experience for our visitors.”
