EM-Annual+Report+2019-original.pdf------

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1. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20191
Goals
Look at our past and present, and decide how we can
positively impact the future of the industry. Connect
our community to each other and to the resources
they need to be successful. Achieve and maintain
financial security.
We Are:
The Community for Responsible Jewelry
Our Mission:
Inspiring responsible jewelry practices through
education, connection, and action.
Our Vision:
We envision a jewelry industry where a beautiful
product does not bear a human or environmental toll.
Our Purpose:
Ethical Metalsmiths educates and connects caring
jewelers, buyers, and the global community; inspiring
respect, dignity, and responsibility throughout the
entire supply chain.
2019

Annual Report

2. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20192
2019 Executive Board of
Directors
Alexandra Hart, President
Monica Stephenson, VP President
Elect
Jennifer Dawes, VP
Jay Moncada, Treasurer
Wendy Woldenberg, Secretary
2019 General Board of
Directors
Anna Bario
Christina Malle
Robin Gambhir
Susan Crow
Susan Wheeler Geraghty
Susie Ganch
Lucy Louise Derickson
2019 Advisory Council
Andrea Hill
Toby Pomeroy
Elizabeth Shaw
Christina Miller
Cristina Villegas
David Crump
Lisa Koeningsberg
Yianni Melas
Eric Braunwart
Brandee Dallow
Estelle Levin-Nally
Jessica Hudson
Kathleen Kennedy
Julia Popovich
Joanne Lebert
Board of Directors, Advisory Council and Team Members
Contact
Ethical Metalsmiths New York
Office: 165 Delaware Ave.

Andes, NY, 13731

276-790-7623
[email protected]
https://ethicalmetalsmiths.org
Contact:
Ethical Metalsmiths
PO Box 156
College Corner, OH 45003
1-619-286-9278
https://ethicalmetalsmiths.org
[email protected]

3. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20193
In 2019, the 3rd year of my service
as president, the ongoing
momentum and growth of EM
reflects the incredible team which
makes up this organization’s all-
volunteer leadership.
During this time, working from the
updated mission, vision and
purpose, we were able to
concentrate our efforts and stand on
our renewed foundation.  My hope
to empower committees leadership
and effectiveness has been
rewarding to watch as our initiatives
grow and thrive while supporting our
mission. The strategizing regularly
with the Executive committee has
been an effective way to keep the
long term mission of the
organization on track, while still
supporting shorter term committee
efforts. And this year we were invited
to apply and were accepted to the
Jewelry Leadership Forum, made up
of the presidents and executive
directors of many Jewelry Industry
Membership organizations. JLF was
established to look for
collaborations, to avoid duplications,
and share opportunities. We are
proud to have a “seat at the table”
with our industry’s leaders.
Here are a few
highlights you will
find in this report:
Our website now represents the
organization as a whole and all
its foci.  Even with a great deal of
autonomy for distinct initiatives
such as our Radical Jewelry
Makeover program, we are now
more visually united and are
unifying our brand development.
The site is not only highly
contemporary and “fresh,” it
serves now more and more as a
resource. For example the
member profiles including
Designers and Suppliers are
launched with Self Assessments
which help put the ethical
decision making into the hands
of the viewer and visitor to the
site.  Our Events Calendar
serves to share not only
members’ happenings, but also
important Responsible Jewelry
Industry info and events.%%!
Our membership continues to
grow and due to the strength of 
EM’s community based support,
as well as the increasing
concern for responsible
practices, and we launched the
Jewelers Self Assessment as
part of our professional
membership. 
The Education committee, made
up of  EM Students and RJM
reports incredible successes and
growth:   EM Students continue
to drive very international
membership for their online
exhibition opportunities, for still a
bargain membership rate.
Colleges, universities and craft
centers continue to request to
host new RJM programs.
Responsible Sourcing
Committee launched the vetted
Supplier Members on our
website, after several years
developing a rigorous self
assessment process and
protocols.
Better Without Mercury
continues to raise funds for
Mercury Mitigation in Columbia
under the fiscal sponsorship by
EM
 
My mission throughout my term has
been to help EM blossom as a non-
profit organization; to build long-
term goals, and to decentralize
leadership as we grow in numbers-
accessing the collective brilliance of
all involved. The Committees
expertise IS the work of EM, and
these committees have grown and
built the sustainable foundation for
the organization. 
 
None of this could have been
achieved without this thoroughly
committed and effective board,
advisors, and volunteers involved,
and I am honored and grateful to
work with these amazing people!
Alexandra Hart
President of Ethical Metalsmiths
President’s Letter
2019 | Alexandra Hart
Photo: Peden & Munk

4. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20194
We decided to begin where our members are.
We developed the Jeweler Self-Assessment to
help those special people who make jewelry
figure out where they currently lie on the
continuum of sustainability. From that starting
point, they can use the data to help improve in
the following eight areas of their practice:
 
1.Commitment to achieving sustainability in
jewelry design.
2.Education in the area of sustainable
practice.
3.Environmental Impact of design and
packaging.
4.Sourcing of materials such as metal, colored
gemstones, diamonds, components, and
findings.
5.Manufacturing processes.
6.Hiring practices and employee work
environment.
7.Health and Safety.
8.Ongoing practices.
 
Each year, our jewelry designer members will
take this self-assessment, and track their
progress toward sustainability in their practice.
They will see their scores, but no one else will.
Having this valuable, objective data will help
them move forward on the journey toward
sustainability.
Jeweler Self-Assessment
2019 | Wendy Woldenberg
Helping designers create
jewelry in a sustainable
manner is a major goal for
Ethical Metalsmiths.
But where do we begin?

5. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20195
In the summer 2019 dry season in
Colombia, the miners of La
Fortaleza, under the leadership of
Rolberto Alvarez, safely moved 400
tons of mercury-contaminated soils
to a long-term storage area on the
association’s mining concession
away from the Honda River. This
soil will be stored indefinitely or until
technology evolves to improve
reprocessing of contaminated soil. It
was donations, self-funding, and
volunteering that made this
groundbreaking feat possible.  
During normal times of mine
operation, the miners of Gualconda
do not have the resources to invest
in the changes they’d like to
achieve, making this a major
accomplishment. 
In late 2019 the work continued.
The soil that was moved was
replaced with clean soil. The miners
are cultivating native and decorative
plants to restore the area. They
have plans for water management,
pond development and the work on
the 1,000 meter nature trail will
connect all areas of the mine site.
The BIG BOLD VISION is to make
Gualconda a teaching mine where
miners from Colombia and beyond
can learn responsible gold mining.
For Rolberto, responsible mining
means that select agricultural
activities coexist with well managed
small-scale gold mining and that no
gold is mined with mercury. As the
Phase II Restoration continues to
evolve, we’ll keep you updated.
Consider donating. Your gift goes a
long way.
Better Without Mercury
2019 | Christina Miller
Photo: After
Photo: Before

6. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20196
Wow, 2019 flew by and we are
happy to say not only did we
launch our member trade show and
trunk show Event calendar, as
promised, but we developed new
membership plans for the 2020
launch.
If you are a member, then you
already know we launched our
designer and supplier self
assessments in 2019. Our new
members have embraced taking
the assessment and in the process
learned a few new things about
improving their studio practices.
Did you know that our
Jewelry members are
featured on the EM
landing page as well as
within the EM Jewelry
section on our website?
Many members have taken the
opportunity to have us build a page
for their business on our site,
showcasing their work and
providing connections.  According
to our Google analytics we have
connected our readers with our
members.
For the future we have big plans: in
2020, keep an eye out for the debut
of the EM Blog, covering exciting
news and events regarding
education, people, global
standards, international initiatives,
mining, industry professionals and
more!
Interested in joining - please do!
Kathleen Lynagh House
Advisory Council Member
WEB, BLOG & Brand Chair
Website Report
2019 | Kathleen Lynagh House
POPULAR VIEW - CHECK OUT WHAT OUR VISITORS WANT TO SEE.
SEARCH RESULTS SHOWING HOW OUR USERS FIND OUR WEBSITE
AND CONNECT WITH ETHICAL METALSMITHS

7. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20197
We continued to hone our Colored Gemstone Supplier
Self Assessment, trying to create an inclusive document
that would benefit our Designer Members, and offer
service to our Supplier Members, visible to the public on
the website.

With the other three Supplier Self-Assessments in the
wings, (Diamonds, Metals, and Findings), we felt it was
important to re-work the Colored Gemstone Supplier Self
Assessment until it was of the caliber we thought
necessary so that it could be used as a model for the next
three assessments.

Highlights of 2019:
Susan Wheeler, jewelry designer and founder of the
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference, Dana
Bronfman, Fine Jewelry Designer, and Eric
Braunwart owner of Columbia Gemhouse joined our
committee.

As a Committee, we continued to study existing
sourcing initiatives in the jewelry industry.

The need became apparent to develop a
responsible sourcing initiative for EM members that
would give them information and knowledge on how
to source their materials. 

The RSC committee further developed their
understanding that the intricate connectivity
between suppliers, miners, cutters and the buyers is
an ongoing process of learning and change. 

In the beginning of 2019 the Supplier Self
Assessment was our developing tool that we
believed was congruent with our mission of
connecting EM Members with Suppliers to promote
education and change in the jewelry supply chains.
With more in-depth study, in the last part of 2019,
we became aware that the word trust is very
important and needs to be further studied and
defined. Trust, and is based on data, evidence,
information which informs 'truths', which inform
trust.  Trust is based on data, evidence and
information which informs 'truths', which inform
trust.

2020 has further opened our eyes to the global
situation of all stockholders in our supply chains to
assist us in meeting the needs of EM’s members.

Responsible Sourcing Committee
2019 | Team Members:
Susan Crow Chair, Monica Stephensen, Robin Gambhir, Jared Amadeo Holstein, Jessica
Hudson, Adel Chefridi, Susan Wheeler, Eric Braunwart and Estelle Levin
“2019 was a roll-up-your-sleeves working year for the
Responsible Sourcing Committee”
“The World Bank has concluded
that the Sustainable
Development Goals cannot be
achieved without the positive
engagements of Artisanal Small
Scale Mining. We need to
ensure that we are not an
obstacle to the achievement of
the SDGs in our standards, but
rather we are the catalyst for
positive change within the ASM
communities”. 
– Susan Wheeler 2019

8. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20198
A variety of projects fall under the
umbrella of the Education
Committee including Radical
Jewelry Makeover, the So Fresh +
So Clean Student Exhibition, the
EM Emerging Artist Award, and the
Criticalsmiths Research Series.
Membership levels managed and
administered by the Education
Committee include Students,
Institutions, and Educators. Funds
collected from these memberships
fall under the Education
Committee’s budget plan (with 12%
dedicated to the EM general fund).%!
EM Student Memberships
and Profiles:
Take a look at the EM Students of
2019!%!
Student profiles can be found on the
EM students home page,
showcasing our new and returning
student members. We have 23 new
schools represented in our student
population this year. Our reach is
growing! Every student member also
receives a welcome shout out on the
EMstudents instagram page.
Conference
Representation
Andy Lowrie and Sarah Parker (EM
Students Chapter-Virginia
Commonwealth University)
presented So Fresh + So Clean
2019 to the attendees of the 2nd
Annual Chicago Responsible
Jewelry Conference in October. The
work was very well received by
conference attendees. Additionally,
EM students had a table in the
Educators Room at the Society of
North American Goldsmiths
conference in May. Lastly, in
November, EM Students and RJM
were represented at the Education
Resource room, during the
sustainability event connected with
NYCJW.%!


Education Committee
Projects 2019:

Criticalsmiths Research
Series
The inaugural CriticalSmiths
research team at Queensland
College of Art, Australia has begun
to research flux toxicity, and will be
sharing their findings in the form of a
poster soon. The poster will be sent
to schools all over the world. There
has been interest from other schools
and student groups to launch
additional research projects.

Learn more about CriticalSmiths
here.



So Fresh + So Clean 2019 

Student Exhibition and Emerging
Artist Award
Eighty two students applied to the
6th annual online exhibition, So
Fresh + So Clean 2019, juried by the
EM Students chapter at Virginia
Commonwealth University The
online exhibition and award winners
can be found here. 
Our 2019 guest juror was Sarah
Rachel Brown, the host of the
Perceived Value podcast. EM
Student facilitator Lucy Derickson,
was interviewed on the podcast to
help promote the show. Listen here.
Annual sponsors of So Fresh + So
Clean include Richline group ($3,000
+ design work), Rio Grande ($750,
and $500 in gift certificates), No
Dirty Gold ($250). 
Education Committee 2019
The Education Committee is Susie Ganch, Elizabeth Shaw,
Kathleen Kennedy, and Lucy Derickson (chair)

9. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 20199
Radical Jewelry
Makeover 
Since 2007, Radical Jewelry
Makeover (RJM) has been an
educational outreach program  of
Ethical Metalsmiths that celebrates
collaboration, innovation and
creativity. It is an international
‘mining’ and recycling project.
Volunteer “miners” dig out and
donate their old jewelry to be
remade by jewelers working together
as refiners and designers. RJM
offers alternatives to mainstream
consumer culture with madeover
jewelry that is 100% recycled and
considerate of its future contribution
to a circular  supply chain. It
challenges cultural practices
contributing to environmental
devastation while highlighting the
meaningful narratives and impulses
that drive us to make and wear
jewelry. RJM changes habits,
changes an industry, and inspires
people to make different decisions
about what they wear.
Radical Jewelry Makeover is co-
directed by Susie Ganch (BoD,
education committee) and Kathleen
Kennedy (BoA, education
committee).
RJM Artist Project:

In 2014, a small group of artists from
across the country were invited to
dive more deeply into the
motivations and questions of
Radical Jewelry Makeover. These
artists, who were all past
participants of RJM, were asked to
create a series of works using
donated jewelry left over from
previous donation drives.  In 2019,
RJM invited 7 new artists to join the
project: Erica Bello, Jim Charles,
Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Taylor
Zarkades King, Chelsea Nanfelt-
Rowe, Jina Seo, and April Wood.  All
of the artists and their work can be
found on the RJM website here:
https://
radicaljewelrymakeover.squaresp
ace.com/the-artist-project. 
RJM continues to find exhibition
venues to feature this dynamic and
vital work which travels across the
country.%%!
Sparkle Plenty XIV –
Exhibition at Quirk Gallery
The RJM Artist Project was invited
to create a series of new work for
Quirk Gallery’s annual fall exhibition,
Sparkle Plenty XIV, in Richmond,
VA.  Curated by Susie Ganch and
Kathleen Kennedy, the exhibition
included: Curtis Arima, Julia Barello,
Erica Bello, Angela Bubash, Raïssa
Bump, Melissa Cameron, Jim
Charles, Kat Cole, Gabriel Craig and
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
2019 | Annual Report
Susie Ganch and Kathleen Kennedy:

10. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201910
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - Sparkle Plenty Finished Work

11. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201911
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - Sparkle Plenty Finished Work

12. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201912
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - continued
Amy Weiks, Jack da Silva, Marilyn
da Silva, Sarah Holden, Yevgeniya
Kaganovich, Kathleen Kennedy,
Taylor Zarkades King,  Deborah
Lozier, Chelsea Nanfelt-Rowe, Caitie
Sellers, Jina Seo, Stephanie
Voegele, Adam Whitney, and April
Wood.
RJM negotiates contracts between
the gallery, the artist, and the project
to reflect a 33/33/33% split of
proceeds.  For this exhibition, sales
totaled $1785.00 resulting in
$595.00 profits for RJM.
Striking Gold – Exhibition at
Fuller Craft Museum
RJM Artist Project members Curtis
Arima and Adam Whitney had work
featured in Striking Gold: Fuller at
50, an exhibition celebrating the
50th anniversary of the Fuller
Museum in Brockton, MA. This
invitational project curated by Beth
McLaughlin and Suzanne Ramljack
explored the storied traditions,
contemporary interpretations, skillful
applications, and conceptual rigor of
gold as an artistic material.  It also
investigated the multitude of
cultural, material, and sociopolitical
associations of this material.  A
catalogue was produced which you
can find here: https://issuu.com/
fullercraftmuseum/docs/
sgcatalogueforemail
RJM Satellite Projects
ECU Material Topics
Symposium and
Competition
In January 2019, Susie Ganch was
keynote speaker at East Carolina
University’s annual Material Topics
Symposium.  The symposium topic
was “State of Adornment: Subject to
Change.” In her presentation, Susie
discussed the inextricable link
between the future health of the
jewelry field and the materials that
are sourced to make our work.
Using her own studio practice and
RJM as examples, she talked about
the complicated path artists take
when balancing ethical and
conceptual considerations in the
studio.%%%!
During breakout sessions after her
presentation, Susie discussed RJM’s
technical philosophy and introduced
a design competition for
participants. Winners included
Chelsea Nanfelt-Rowe, Hosanna
Rubio, and Kathryn Osgood. Each
artist received a $100 gift certificate
to Rio Grande.
Three artists were recognized with
an honorable mention award: Jera
Lodge, Krissie Moore, and Mary Kay
Palazzo.
Earth Day 2019
RJM partnered with Amazon Aid, a
nonprofit working to protect the
Amazon Rain Forest, for an Earth
Day event held at Fort A.P. Hill in
central Virginia.  1500 students from
area schools attended this one day
event.
RJM at Central Virginia
Middle Schools
In May 2019 RJM collaborated with
middle school art teacher Jill Rich,
and her students at
Brookland Middle School
and Elko Middle School in
central Virginia for a mini
RJM event.  Sixth - eighth
grade students researched
the effects that open pit
mining and fast fashion have
on industry workers and the
environment. Students used
RJM jewelry donations and
learned simple cold
connections to design and
create new madeover
pieces.%!
Interviews and Publicity
Perceived Value Podcast
Perceived Value (PV) host Sarah
Rachel Brown interviewed Susie
Ganch and Kathleen Kennedy in
May.  PV is a podcast broaching the
subject of value with artists and has
an international following of
listeners.  Susie and Kathleen
discussed various facets of RJM in
each of their podcasts:  episode 42,
Teach Me Always: Susie Ganch of
Radical Jewelry Makeover, and 
episode 45, I Say Yes, That’s What
You Do: Kathleen Kennedy.  The
episodes may be found here: 
https://
www.perceivedvaluepodcast.com/
home/2019/9/6/it-never-feels-
enough-susie-ganch-of-radical-
jewelry-makeover%!
https://
www.perceivedvaluepodcast.com/
home/2019/12/8/i-say-yes-thats-
what-you-do-kathleen-kennedy
Articles written about RJM in
2019:
Art Education Journal Article by
Christine Woywod (RJM Wisconsin
Participant)
(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/
abs/
10.1080/00043125.2019.1621627?
needAccess=true&journalCode=uare
20)

13. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201913
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - continued

14. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201914
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - continued

15. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201915
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM)
RJM - continued
New York City Jewelry Week
(NYCJW)  2019
On Friday November 22nd, 2019
RJM participated in NYCJW’s first
annual Full Circle at the Fashion
Institute of Technology.  Full Circle
was a one-day event designed to
give jewelers an overview of many of
the challenges that face the jewelry
industry regarding sustainability. 
The event consisted of lectures, a
film screening of the documentary 
“Rivers of Gold”, and a Resource
Room that provided visitors with
hands-on education and solutions to
some of these topics.  Kathleen
Kennedy was joined by independent
curator Maggie Smith at the RJM
booth in the Education Resource
Room.  More information on the
event may be found here: https://
nycjewelryweek.com/full-circle/
Current and Future RJM
Installments
RJM XV: South Florida
In 2019 Lighthouse ArtCenter
education director Maria Tritico
invited RJM to come to Tequesta,
Florida and work with students in
her community on an RJM project
installment.  Together we invited the
Armory Art Center and Resource
Depot (West Palm Beach, FL) to
create a larger, inclusive South
Florida Project installment. 
Lighthouse ArtCenter, Armory Art
Center, and Resource Depot
became institutional members of
Ethical Metalsmiths. Maria Tritico,
Lisa Johnson, Chelsea Odom, and
Alicia Boswell utilized the RJM
toolkit and led the planning effort
throughout the course of 2019.  The
South Florida Donation Drive began
in the Fall 2019.  The project is
planned to kick off in early 2020.%!
The Lighthouse ArtCenter also
hosted an RJM exhibition in
advance of the donation drive to
generate excitement for the project. 
Madeover work from RJM XIII:
Baltimore, RJM XIV:Wisconsin, and
the satellite RJM ECU were
exhibited.%%!
Proceeds from this exhibition
brought $265.00 to the project.%%!
Future Installments: RJM
XVI, RJM XVII, RJM XVIII! 
Curtis Arima, Associate Professor at
California College of the Arts (and
RJM Artist Project member) and
Emily Cobb, Assistant Professor at
Humboldt State University, initiated
planning for an RJM installment in
Northern California tentatively
scheduled for Spring 2021.
Lynn Batchelder, Assistant
Professor, and Myra Mimlitsch-Gray,
professor, from SUNY New Paltz
initiated plans for an installment
scheduled in the 2021-22 school
year.
Jina Seo, Assistant Professor  (and
RJM Artist Project member), is ready
to plan an RJM installment with the
program she leads at Missouri State
University.  This collaborative will
reach out to partners in the region
including Kansas University.
RJM Team update:
We rely heavily on the generous help
from volunteers and a few paid staff
who are paid through proceeds from
sales of madeover jewelry.
RJM Intern:
In 2019, Radical Jewelry Makeover
hired Dawoon Jeong as a paid
apprentice.  Dawoon, a recent BFA
graduate from Virginia
Commonwealth University in
Richmond, VA,  helped Co-Directors
Susie Ganch and Kathleen Kennedy
with data entry, organizing leftover-
unused materials, and
photographing finished madeover
jewelry.  Much of Dawoon’s hard
work can be seen on the RJM
website (https://
www.radicaljewelrymakeover.org).
RJM website designer/
consultant:
Cheena Marie Lo continues to serve
as the RJM web designer, building
and updating the website.%%!

16. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201916
Treasurer’s Reports
2019 | Jay Moncada, Treasurer, Board of Directors
During 2019 we have seen a growing and sustaining community in our membership
numbers and it continues to be an important revenue stream for the org.  We are proud
and excited to see the continued success of Better Without Mercury as their fiscal
sponsor.
Our sustained financial health and informed budgets has helped the org formulate the
much anticipated hiring of an Executive Director, while securing budgets in web
development and marketing to continue to foster the org’s growth.  Our strong liquidity
position also offers for the addition of new programs and initiatives that align with the
org’s mission.
Fiscal Year 2019
2019

17. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201917
Treasurer’s Reports
Treasurer’s report - continued
2019
Operating Income FY 2019
Individuals 8,852
Membership Revenue 20,116
Major Donors & Grants 8,542
Corporate Sponsors 4,029
RJM Sales 98
Special Program Fundraising 14,112
Total gross income 54,749
Operating Expense
Administration & Conference Expenses 3,066
Program Grants & Assistance 12,000
Program Service Expenses 8,426
Development 3,500
Total expenses 26,992
Net Income 27,757

18. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201918
Annual Retreat
Seattle, August 1-3, 2019 Wendy Woldenberg
It is a glorious thing to gather
such passionate supporters of
the responsible jewelry
movement in one room together.
The Ethical Metalsmiths annual
Board retreat was an example of
our mission statement brought to
life - education, connection, and
action.
On the eve before the retreat,
Anza Gems sponsored a dinner
and cocktail party for Ethical
Metalsmiths, Women’s Jewelry
Organization, and Seattle Metals
Guild. Then, the Board and
Advisors spent the next two days
digging into a packed agenda.
You know the conversations are
deep, intense, and meaningful
when innocent bystanders (the
friend who quietly assembled our
meals in the next room) tells you
after the fact that they had no idea
the grand issues we are working to
solve as an organization. Success!
Besides the usual procedural issues
we sorted out (adopting new by-
laws, defining our board structure,
making and approving motions), we
made some important decisions
which will drive Ethical Metalsmiths
into the foreseeable future.
The retreat participants embarked in
extensive discussions about Ethical
Metalsmiths increasing its presence
at the larger jewelry shows (Tucson,
Las Vegas, New York, etc). Through
branded booths, showcases,
signage, and representation, we
decided to discuss the possibilities
with show organizers. This led to a
wonderful presence at NYC Jewelry
Week, and a plan for the 2020 JCK
Vegas Show. Unfortunately, that was
cancelled due to Covid-19.
Another key takeaway from the
annual retreat was the decision to
apply to become a member of the
Jewelry Leadership Forum.
Comprised of the main
organizations in the
Jewelry sector, the time
has come for Ethical
Metalsmiths to take a seat
at the table. Monica
Stephenson as President
Elect, and Alexandra Hart
as President, are our
Ethical Metalsmiths
representatives, and have
been contributing our
message of sustainability
to the collaborative
discussions. since.
Drumroll please! Biggest
takeaway from the annual
retreat to follow. Ethical
Metalsmiths has been
operating without any paid
positions for over two
years. At this annual
retreat, we made the
decision to hire a new
executive director. Not just any
executive director, but one who
came from selflessly serving the
Board of Directors since its
inception. Her institutional
knowledge, enthusiasm, and
ability to rally people to action
made her the perfect selection.
We decided to hire Alexandra
Hart as our new Executive
Director (effective mid-2020).
The 2.5 days of the retreat were
action-packed and intense! I
could have never predicted at
the beginning that we would
come out with plans to hire a
new ED, and especially not one
as qualified as Alexandra. On a
personal note, I am honored to
serve with such a courageous,
dedicated group of people.%!

19. 2023© ETHICAL METALSMITHS ANNUAL REPORT 201919
Student/Supporter
($0-150)
Total: 107
Betsy Drake Bierkan
Yichen Guan
Mathilde Tétreault
Mary Jarvis
Tracey Carswell
Anna Doll
Christine Charles-Ventoux
Bridget Parlato
Elisabeth Arzt
Yajing Yan
Emily Soderberg
Xin Xu
Megan Cochran
Sarah McFadden
Shawna Hipple
Taylor Dunivan
Maya Rose Weiss
Ann Broich
Heather McBryar
John Parkins
Krystal Smith
Sadie Fenley
Zheng Zeng
Kelly Temple
Ruizhi Li
Lena Binnington
Kattie Jones
Bryan Treakle
Erin Underhill
Gina Denton
Xin Guan
Yao Huang
Morgan Lloyd
Cessna Manalili
Michael Nashef
Cierra Redding
Johanna Typaldos
Mackenzie Wells
Scott Brackett
Sarah Brown
Weixuan Huang 
Jung Ki Min
Xiangyin Shi
Mizuki Tochigi 
Nina van Duijnhoven
Tracy Welling
Saydee Chandler
Sergio Estrada
Elizabeth Walton
Steve Alexis
Lauren Eckert
Michael Gomez
A Groves
Militsa Milenkova
Sarah Murphy
Diba Niazi
Ellen Sisti
Talia Tanaka
Helen Wyatt
Maddison Bygrave
Shana Cave
Suyu Chen
Yu Chi Chien 
Nicholas DeLeone
Rachel Dunn
Shaolinyi Fan
Ashley Fisher 
Alexandra Gasparis
Dinu Gavris
Erica Hoosic
Cathryn Jasterzbski
Dawoon Jeong 
Mariyn Koch
Malissa Kuznicki
Kim Le
Xun Liu
Jennifer Marcson
Max Meier
Chelsea Nanfelt
Farzaneh Nozari
Adwowa Obeng
Chase Shotton
Siqiong Wen
Dongyi Wu
Zihan Yang
Yingqi Zhao

Bettina Van Hulle
Miao He 
Renee Ricci
Gretchen Schreiber
Chiieng Chan 
Chloe Pflug
Mary Kay Palazzo
Jiayin Wang
Chelsea Chapman
Vanessa Carrington
Fargol Gholamrezazadeh
Leticia Ramirez
Jamie Pelusi
Vanessa Yang Yung
Hewan Zewdi
Stephanie Calvert
Michele Chaboudy
Cecilia Echeverri
Ana Sierra
Designer
($151-300)
Total: 41
Emily Cobb
Lisa Johnson
Jennifer O'Brien
Christina Malle
Irene Weinz
Brandelyn Rosenberg
Daniel Juzwiak
Rebecca Grady
Amanda Buchanan
Karin Jacobson
Nancy Klotz
Catherine Claus
Patty Lauritzen 
Margaret Skemp
Jessica Hudson
Julia Popovich
Jenny Park
Kate Maller
Sophie Hughes
Sharon Jewelry
Chad VErhof
Jana Brevick
Valerie Kasinskas
Todd Pownell
Matthew Baxter
Shaya  Durbin 
Noor Shamma
Kimberly Haisch
Nicole Grandics
Alexandra Hart
Danielle Barbe
Ana Brazaityte
Jane Bartel
Donna Bilak
Myriam Elie
Alisa Thorp
Alicia Arkwright
Judy Geib
Susan Harbourt
Mariele Williams
Wing Yau
Melanie Casey
Emily Johnson
Retailer/Supplier
($500+)
Total: 6
Ben Manning
Roya Jabbar
Jamie Hollier
Deborah Spencer
Emily Phillippy
Laurel Hilton
Ethical Metalsmiths Donors and Members
2019EM Donors/Members Total: 154
Thank you for your
strong belief in our
shared mission