Longtime LAA supporter, current director, O'Connell to resign
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
After 36 years of involvement with the Lakeland Art Association, Lila O'Connell is resigning from her position as the center's director and chairwoman of the ways and means committee.
"I've been thinking about it for a while," said O'Connell Thursday. She said she goes by her gut feeling and her gut was telling her to step down.
"I look around at a meeting or whatever and see the people who've come up in the ranks. ... They're doing very good things for the organization."
In her resignation letter to the Association, O'Connell wrote: "It is such a joy to me to look around and see so many doing so much with our association. And to think that for (more than) 36 years I've been instrumental in encouraging you and all the others to get to this point.
"Now I feel I can resign as director and chair(woman) of ways and means without too many qualms.
"I'd like this to be effective as of Jan. 1, 2001, or sooner if you like."
When she began as director, O'Connell said, "The fact is, we didn't have a place to hang our hat before."
She said the association met at different locations and held art shows at various places. They met at the fairgrounds and then at the Bowen Center. "That," she said, "was a very limited place but a good place for us."
The association then had its office and art gallery on Lake Street before moving last year to the current office at 116 S. Buffalo St..
A place for the association to call its own is what O'Connell said is her biggest accomplishment for the association.
"We tried for decades before that," she said. "We had committees. We worked with the Chamber of Commerce, all that kind of stuff. We got nowhere."
She retired from her job and took it on herself as a committee of one to do the ground work to get the association a home.
Regardless of where they've been, O'Connell said she always plans ahead. Though she won't be the director next year, she said, "I have the showcases lined up for the whole next year."
O'Connell said she would like to see membership continue to grow. "Many of the artists in this area should be a supporting member," she said.
She doesn't know who will replace her when she's finished with her duties for the association, but, she said, she hopes it will be someone who will be "committed to the growth and betterment of the association."
As for whoever takes over the ways and mean chair, O'Connell said, "I hope they do well with that. They need to."
What's O'Connell going to do after her resignation take effect?
"People ask me what I'll do when I give this up. Offhand I say, 'I'll come up with something,'" she said.
That "something" includes traveling, playing bridge, her large family, her own art work, taking care of her apartments, gardening and a host of other activities.
She said she also will continue her membership in the association and may host on occasion if they ask her to, but that will be limited. [[In-content Ad]]
After 36 years of involvement with the Lakeland Art Association, Lila O'Connell is resigning from her position as the center's director and chairwoman of the ways and means committee.
"I've been thinking about it for a while," said O'Connell Thursday. She said she goes by her gut feeling and her gut was telling her to step down.
"I look around at a meeting or whatever and see the people who've come up in the ranks. ... They're doing very good things for the organization."
In her resignation letter to the Association, O'Connell wrote: "It is such a joy to me to look around and see so many doing so much with our association. And to think that for (more than) 36 years I've been instrumental in encouraging you and all the others to get to this point.
"Now I feel I can resign as director and chair(woman) of ways and means without too many qualms.
"I'd like this to be effective as of Jan. 1, 2001, or sooner if you like."
When she began as director, O'Connell said, "The fact is, we didn't have a place to hang our hat before."
She said the association met at different locations and held art shows at various places. They met at the fairgrounds and then at the Bowen Center. "That," she said, "was a very limited place but a good place for us."
The association then had its office and art gallery on Lake Street before moving last year to the current office at 116 S. Buffalo St..
A place for the association to call its own is what O'Connell said is her biggest accomplishment for the association.
"We tried for decades before that," she said. "We had committees. We worked with the Chamber of Commerce, all that kind of stuff. We got nowhere."
She retired from her job and took it on herself as a committee of one to do the ground work to get the association a home.
Regardless of where they've been, O'Connell said she always plans ahead. Though she won't be the director next year, she said, "I have the showcases lined up for the whole next year."
O'Connell said she would like to see membership continue to grow. "Many of the artists in this area should be a supporting member," she said.
She doesn't know who will replace her when she's finished with her duties for the association, but, she said, she hopes it will be someone who will be "committed to the growth and betterment of the association."
As for whoever takes over the ways and mean chair, O'Connell said, "I hope they do well with that. They need to."
What's O'Connell going to do after her resignation take effect?
"People ask me what I'll do when I give this up. Offhand I say, 'I'll come up with something,'" she said.
That "something" includes traveling, playing bridge, her large family, her own art work, taking care of her apartments, gardening and a host of other activities.
She said she also will continue her membership in the association and may host on occasion if they ask her to, but that will be limited. [[In-content Ad]]