Dear CCI Friends,

I’ve missed being in touch with you over the past months. I had to take time out to see if my body and mind could heal itself after working around the clock for too many years. In my 85th year constant work finally caught up with me!

After taking time off, getting plenty of sleep and downtime, I’m feeling considerably better. However at my age, I’m told that it’s not wise to continue this pace to which I’ve been accustomed. So I’m trying to figure out how to slow down. My sons, who are already retired, think it’s time for me to be a family Mom! I love them and my grandchildren, but I was always so involved with CCI that I allowed my work to come first before family events. Thankfully they still want me to be part of their lives. If I don’t do this now, I’ll never have the chance again. I’m increasingly aware of how fast the years pass and soon life is over. So I’ve had to make some tough decisions.

Fortunately we have a number CCI volunteers who are top professionals. Three of them are now ready to become bonafide CCI Board Members. They traveled on one or more of my trips to Russia and have been dedicated to our work since then. Fortunately they are considerably younger than I am. In the past several years, they have operated like Board members for me. When I needed advice I called on one or more of them. They are skilled in fields in which I have no expertise. Two are attorneys, one a former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, another a businessman and a decades-long Rotarian.

Of course I will mentor them, travel to Russia with them to share our 40 years of work there, and help them begin to build relations with our Russian experts and coordinators across the country. We are planning a small trip for them this coming October. CCI’s larger trip for 100 persons will be rescheduled again, this time for June of 2023. I will travel with both trips. I’m sure COVID won’t be an issue by that time.

I will continue to write for CCI, but I also want our new Board Members to begin writing or sending articles that experts in the field forward to us.

Meanwhile I plan to move from Silicon Valley to Bend, Oregon where my sons and families live. I’m really looking forward to this more sensible lifestyle as I go toward my 90s!

In any case, I’ll continue to stay in touch with you. Please know that I greatly appreciate your interest in CCI over the years, your friendships and support as we have tried to bring Americans and Russians into successful working relations during these past decades.

Thank you, thank you!!!

PS:  In closing I want to admit, we are in an extremely difficult and dangerous period at this moment. However, I still think there may be a way out. More on this to follow within a week.