Hello Membership,
It is time, once again, to VOTE for your Board of Directors!
Voting will be from now until 4pm, Tuesday, July 15th. Election Results will be announced at the General Meeting at our Washington State Stone Carving Symposium hosted at Camp Pilgrim Firs in Port Orchard on Wednesday, July 16th, 2025.
We have 4 positions on the Board that are up for election. See below for their names in alphabetical order. Board members agreeing to serve another 2-year term: Tamara Buchanan and Markos Weiss. Two confirmed nominees have volunteered for consideration to join the board: Carmen Chacon and Ken Barnes.
The following Board Members will continue to serve their terms: Oliver Harwood, Aerin Sizelove, Karen Walsh Roe and Michael E. Yeaman.
Thank you to Ellie Hochman as she exits the Board. We appreciate her 6 years of service to our community:
* You must be an active member of NWSSA for your vote to count.
Ken Barnes
Ken took a break from rock climbing, and thought that rock bashing would be a good idea. He bashed unsuccessfully on cobbles from the backyard, until he saw a Uchida sculpture and got hooked. It seems a miracle that he discovered the NWSSA nearly 30 years ago. At this point in his aging metamorphosis is setting in. He’d prefer to agatize over fossilization, but isn’t sure how to take action on that preference.
He has been on the board for a cumulative 14 years, with some portion of that as president or treasurer. He’d really rather work on agatizing, but duty calls.
Tamara Buchanan
In August of 1987 I attended the 1st NW Stone Sculptors Association Symposium and have been an active member ever since. As a member of the Board of Directors from 1994 to 1997, I helped procure 501(c)3 status for NWSSA. Currently, in the capacity of President, I am working toward building an infrastructure that will encourage member participation and a desire to see NWSSA continue stronger and better than ever.
Carmen Chacon
I have been attending and participating in some fashion since 1989. I previously served as secretary in the late 1990’s. In anticipation of serving on NWSSA’s BOD, I recently completed the ArtsFund board leadership training class in May 2025.
I believe my organizational skills will continue to help NWSSA support opportunities and vision that explore all aspects of stone carving for all creative and passionate people, and as a safe place to create, share and explore. I will help find common and shared goals where our legacy and knowledge can be accessed by new and old members.
Markos Weiss
Since retiring from a career as a child and family therapist and raising a family, I am now able to direct most of my creative energy into stone sculpting. I’ve been a member of NWSSA for the past 20+ years, and have participated in most of the symposia at Camp Brotherhood and Pilgrim Firs. I experience the members of NWSSA as being the most generous, fun and creative group of artists that I have ever encountered. I am so appreciative of the many NWSSA mentors.
Recently, with the plan to give back to this amazing community of artists/stoners, I joined the NWSSA board. I am participating on the event planning and nominations committees. Valuing participation in groups, I also joined the Studio Stone Collective in the Georgetown neighborhood in SW Seattle.
I bring strong communication and organizational skills and previous experience on two other boards where I played leadership roles. I plan to utilize my skills and hope to continue to contribute my energy and efforts to help grow and stabilize NWSSA. I want to continue to focus on building representation from all our geographical areas both on the board and in general and to help in coordinating and developing stone sculpture exhibits/shows such as the one I have created to take place at Kubota Garden this September.
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