Western Chapter Candidates

Rob Rachowiecki (Running Unopposed for Second Vice Chair)

My name is Rob Rachowiecki and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the 2nd Vice Chair position on the Western Chapter Board. I am looking forward to working congenially with other board members and volunteers as well as the management team to keep the Western Chapter running smoothly. I have years of experience in working in administration positions and have had volunteer roles with SATW. I have been an Active member for a quarter of a century and am ready to expand my volunteerism for this outstanding organization.

Some of you know me as a chap with a British accent. I was born in England but visited the USA in 1974 and somehow never left the Americas. I have visited every country from Alaska to Argentina and have made my home in Tucson, Arizona since 1989.

My first published (and paid) travel writing was about a British schoolboys expedition to Greenland in 1972 but the majority of my travel writing career has been authoring guidebooks. I feel that the breadth of coverage that guidebook research entails will stand me in good stead if you elect me to the Western Chapter board. I respectfully ask for your vote.

If you have any comments, compliments, questions or just want to give me a hard time – please reach out and I’ll get back to you.

Joanne Hudson (Running Unopposed for Associate at Large)

To my Western Chapter colleagues: It has been a joy to serve you the past two years as our chapter’s Associate-At-Large. I would appreciate your vote again during this year’s election and value your confidence in my ability to continue to serve another term in this role. I am always open to hearing from both Actives and Associates on how we can better serve you and how we can enhance the Western Chapter offerings for our members.

I joined SATW as an Associate Member in 2015 and have participated in many society events both in person and virtually over the past eight years. I am currently entering my sixth year as the Public Relations Manager for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico tourism department. I previously worked for the DMO in Flagstaff, AZ and Bakersfield, CA which gives me a strong sense of the needs of the Western Chapter associate members.

Ariel Frager (Running for Treasurer)

Rick Stedman (Running for Treasurer)

I’ve been an SATW Western Chapter member since joining the organization in 2009. I’ve had brief volunteer efforts over the years, but have never run for an office. Thus, I was guilted into (I mean asked to consider running) for a chapter office. In all seriousness, I feel it’s time to give back for what SATW has given to me over the years, namely professional contacts, camaraderie, great travel opportunities, and more. With that in mind, I am throwing my hat into the ring and running for the Western Chapter Treasurer.

I feel my easygoing attitude and cooperative spirit would make for an excellent board member. I’m not just making that up. While a member of SATW through the end of 2021, I also worked full-time for the state of Washington. My specific duties included a great deal of writing, editing, and photography, but also overseeing the Department of Revenue’s Multilingual Outreach program.

This involved connecting lots of dots. For example, I would find speakers and translators for specific languages. Oftentimes, groups of small business owners who spoke English as a second language needed assistance understanding the complex tax structure. I would either have information translated into their respective language, find a translator for them, and sometimes even set up workshops and conferences to explain information to an entire group. For all these efforts, I had to stay within a budget, and still find creative ways to accommodate those specific customer needs.

Regardless of where I worked to pay the bills, for the last three decades I have also been an active freelance writer. I’ve written for numerous publications on topics like recreational vehicles, golf, general travel, snowshoeing, skiing, and more. Since sliding into official retirement just over a year ago, I do have more time to devote to efforts like sleeping, writing, and volunteering for SATW.

I hope you’ll consider me for the treasurer position within the Western Chapter.

Sincerely,

Rick Stedman