Dear Members and Friends,

Happy New Year!

December was a busy time at the Center with so many beautiful holiday parties and events. Thanks to our entire Staff for your hard work and dedication to the Center and making every single event so special for our Members.

December was also the culmination of incredible work by our Board Member Colleagues, our Staff, and Tom Trombadore, our Attorney who’s been working incredibly hard for the Center on a Pro-Bono basis to assist in our conversion to a full 501c3 Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation. This group has reason to smile in the photo included here, a job well done with only a few statutory filings yet to be completed on behalf of our Members.

Some other 2017 accomplishments:

  • Our first Executive Director at the Center joined in August, Robert Sparks.
  • We elected our new Board in December, in accordance with our new ByLaws, a copy of which can be found on our website, IrishCenterSF.org. See our List of Board Members below and read about our Board Members on our website.
  • A $1,500,000 Line of Credit has also been approved by our new Bank, First National Bank of Northern California, specialists in Non-Profits. This will be used for facility enhancements that will increase revenues in Banquets, Events, and the Restaurant/Bar, while also making some improvements for Accessibility for all our Members. A Fundraising Capital Campaign will be expanded in 2018 for our Generations Fund to finance longer-term building improvements and expansion. We will look to foundations, philanthropies, Members, and other constituents for donations and grants.
  • Menus have been updated for the Restaurant, and for Events and Banquets. Our Wine and Whiskey selections have been expanded, and the Bar has introduced a “Drink of the Month”.
  • Chef Paul has been a wonderful addition for our culinary services.
  • New Member special events started in recent months under Executive Director, Robert Sparks supervision, including a wine event featuring 12 Vineyards, and a Pasta Night in December, which welcomed families with children, and catered to all appetites.
  • We are planning a President’s Ball for February, a new annual event, to recognize all our current and past Board Members and founders. See our website for more details about this event.
  • We’ve developed a Job Description and interviewing has started for a new Marketing & Media Director, to enhance our outreach to Members, publicize new Cultural activities, and to attract more Events and Banquets.
  • Our Nominating Committee will begin outreach to identify Committee volunteers and potential new Board candidates. If you have any recommendations, please reach out to Jo Coffey.

Our 2018 Board of Directors & Officers:

Board Member |  Role | Term/Years

  • Michael Barnacle | President | 3
  • Bill Luque| Vice President| 1
  • James Sweeney| Treasurer| 1
  • Maggie Overbay| Secretary| 3
  • Jo Coffey| Board Member| 1
  • Valerie McGrew| Board Member| 1
  • Caitie O’Shea| Board Member| 1
  • Michael Bowler| Board Member| 2
  • Josephine Brogan| Board Member| 2
  • James McFadden| Board Member| 2
  • Rebeca Moran| Board Member| 2
  • Peggy Nevin| Board Member| 2
  • Anne Carew| Board Member| 3
  • Patricia Hayes| Board Member| 3
  • Juan Sibila| Board Member| 3

I hope to see you at the Center soon!

Sincerely,

Michael Barnacle
For the Board