To our beautiful community and beyond,
I am writing this letter during a sublime summer storm, from a cloud inside my apartment. This note is from me, Heidi Gruner, one voice in a wonderful collective of folks. I am here to share some changes in our leadership at School of the Alternative: the natural ending of one season and the soft shift into another. This summer, the SotA board of directors said goodbye to Chelsea Ragan, Adam Void, and Velvet Panichelli. I sit in deep gratitude for all of the time, labor, love, and enthusiastic attention they have given to the school. With their stepping down, we have welcomed three new board members!
This July, Khonsu Ra, Maria Judice, and Luan Joy Sherman joined our leadership alongside Nelle Dunlap, who will continue to serve on the board for a fourth year, and me.
Khonsu is a powerful healer, and his voice has helped shape our growth in many ways. He taught a Dreamtime class his first year at SotA in 2017 that shook us all into deeper, more thoughtful versions of ourselves. Last year, this spiritual nourishment manifested into a staff position that would have included daily meditation, yoga, and holding space for our growth as holistic beings. Maria came to SotA for the first time last year, and skillfully taught a powerful class on decolonizing screenwriting. We all learned quickly that when Maria talks, you listen. She is wise, and her powerful voice and vast knowledge of arts nonprofits, grants, and fundraising will fill a space that has needed filling. From the classroom to the radio room, and every space in between, it always feels like a gift to have Maria’s voice present. Luan has been with SotA since our very first session, and he has grown so beautifully each year into an even more incredibly tender and aware healer, teacher, and friend to literally everyone at SotA, always making sure that we are creating access for ALL. Nelle is a kind and brilliant facilitator, whose eager wild brain has given endless labor to this project. She takes care of so much nuanced behind-the-scenes work, and she is a giving, smart communicator that everyone loves being around.
I have shifted from the role of Acting Director to Executive Director. I have been on the board since its formation and I took on the role of Acting Director shortly after our second session in June of 2017. I’m elated to continue shaping this school alongside so many of you. It’s been a long time coming that our leadership reflects the diversity of our community, and I’m so happy to step into this new chapter alongside Khonsu, Maria, Luan, and Nelle. I am incredibly inspired by this group of people, who will nurture the parts of SotA that make it great and give the light of our attention to areas that need focused growth.
Every year, we learn more about how to hold space and take care of our growing community. We will continue to foster a community of mutual care where we can experience freedom from competition and traditional hierarchy; where everyone is valued, and knowledge and resources are freely shared. I know that this is what feeds us, sustains us, and keeps all of us coming home each May. This community is guided by all of us, and as always, we welcome your thoughts on these internal shifts and our continued evolution.
As we step into this new chapter with a strong focus on equity, we will continue to work to be a radical space that nurtures the parts of you that white supremacy has worn down. We will exist as an alternative to the patriarchal, capitalistic systems that weigh heavy on us all. We will continue to prioritize access for those who have historically had barriers to entry into education and art spaces, including continuing to staff an Accessibility Coordinator position and offer our Black Equity scholarships. We will enthusiastically uplift and actively prioritize the voices of those who have been traditionally silenced. We are committed to doing the work to be an anti-racist organization, prioritizing the comfort & experience of those who are rarely given priority.
I think the most radical things that we practice at SotA are sharing knowledge freely, and prioritizing deep, nuanced care for ourselves and each other. As both Acting and now Executive Director, I have put a lot of focused energy into the community aspect of our sessions, and have worked alongside so many of you to nurture a collective where folks feel safe, heard, and cared for. It’s been beautiful to see SotA grow in these ways, and I’m proud of this magical universe we’ve created and shared together. It has been a privilege to serve this community; to hold space with and for you, to care and be cared for by you, and grow alongside you. I will always listen to you; as a friend, a fellow student, and as a leader in this community.
Sent with love from the mountains,
