President's Newsletter
December 2007
Dear Members and Friends of GHI,
With a New Year fast approaching, I am reflecting on GHI's accomplishments during 2007 and looking forward to new opportunities awaiting us in 2008.
I particularly appreciate two additions this year to GHI's Board of Trustees: George Mader and Humphrey Polanen. George was a key participant in GHI's very first project, in Ecuador, and has served on our Board of Advisors for over fifteen years. He brings to the Board extraordinary expertise in urban planning and broad experience in natural hazards mitigation strategy. George was a member of the California Seismic Safety Commission from 1975 to 1984 and its chairman from 1979 to 1981. Humphrey's career includes roles as entrepreneur, venture capitalist, executive of leading technology companies and international corporate lawyer. He has served on a number of non-profit boards, including Homebase/Center for Common Concerns, the Millennium Institute, and the Museum of the African Diaspora. I am grateful for the many years of service by Haresh Shah, a founding Board member, and congratulate him on becoming our first emeritus Board member.
GHI has significantly increased its capacity over the last year. We have a new, highly competent administrator, Kristen Yawitz, and a new Financial Officer, Juan Esquivel, who is also a CPA. Tsering Dhundup, our Community Officer working in Dharamsala, has become GHI's second employee in India. As of April 2007 we have occupied newly renovated and seismically retrofitted offices in Palo Alto, California, which you are most welcome to visit.
I hope that you will take deep satisfaction from the progress made during 2007 on GHI's various projects. You can read about them by following these links:
These activities significantly promote our mission to reduce death and suffering due to natural disasters in the world's most vulnerable communities through advocacy, mitigation, preparation and prevention. GHI is one of very few organizations doing such work.
I am grateful for the support given to GHI in 2007 by individuals, foundations, corporations, government agencies and other nonprofit organizations from around the world. Particularly important contributions to GHI were made by the Flora Family Foundation, the Catalyst Foundation, the OYO Corporation, and our newest supporter — the Simons Foundation.
The year 2008 will bring new opportunities for GHI to fulfill our vision: a world of self-reliant communities that can continue their economic, political and cultural development unimpeded by natural disasters.
We will work to bring our tsunami preparation guidebook to the people of Sumatra. We will deepen our ties with Pakistani structural engineers and will develop new links with Guatemalan disaster managers. We will support the Tibetan community-in-exile in Dharamsala in its effort to seismically strengthen the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. We will continue to support local efforts to strengthen key "lifeline" buildings in Delhi, India. We will continue our advocacy efforts to increase natural hazard risk awareness in those regions of the world where it is most needed.
You — GHI's members and friends — make our work possible through your financial support and endorsement. I am grateful to those who contributed in 2007, and I encourage all of you to join or renew your association with GHI for the coming year by making a fully tax-deductible donation to GHI at: http://geohaz.org/contents/support/becomemember.html .
May you and your families enjoy a peaceful and safe Holiday Season.
Sincerely,
Brian Tucker, President
