New 2VS Program Manager Hired

SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake resident Carol Evans has contracted to take on the role of Program Manager of Alpine Artisans' (AAI) 2 Valley Stage (2VS).

Evans began her involvement with 2VS in 2006, shortly after moving to Seeley Lake. She started by selling tickets at performances but soon was put in charge of coordinating all the front of house activities – tickets, refreshments, art display, CD sales – and finding volunteers to assist with all those undertakings.

In 2013, Evans was asked to assume the job of 2VS Coordinating Council (2VSCC) co-chair and liaison to the AAI board. When the program manager position became available, Evans decided to apply for it.

Though Evans' particular field of expertise in the fine arts is dance – she started lessons at age four – her formal education and work background is in the forestry and wildlife sciences.

For 15 years Evans taught science in a variety of roles including outdoor education courses, college science courses and teaching teachers how to incorporate science into their curriculums. Currently, Evans and her husband Bill Wall work as independent contractors operating under the name Sustainability, Inc. Much of Wall's work is in Alaska, while Evans handles her portion of the business from Seeley Lake. Independent contractor status is a necessary precondition for the 2VS Program Management position.

Evans was chosen out of two applicants. The other applicant lives outside of the Seeley-Swan area. Evans' active involvement in AAI and years of experience working with 2VS weighed in her favor. The AAI board felt she would have a significantly shorter learning curve than someone entirely new to the program, an important consideration since the 2VS 2015-2016 season is already under way.

The board members also agreed that Evans' understanding of the organizational interaction between AAI and 2VS, plus her familiarity with and active presence in the local communities, were indispensable assets.

While recognizing that her current and former jobs in the sciences honed her communication, organization and competency skills, Evans said, "All the stuff about education and all of that is head stuff. My heart is performing arts."

Evans said, "I absolutely love stages, being on them and being an audience. I love performances. That's the real reason I am involved with 2VS. It is one of my passions. Contrary to the money-making part of my life, this is my way to do fun things in my life."

Evans is already making plans to expand 2VS's reach. "I tend to jump in with both feet," she said. "The first thing I am going to do is connect more with the community. I have a lot of contacts and a lot of friends in Seeley Lake and I'm hoping to bring more people in."

She also intends to connect with SSHS Principal Kathleen Pecora. Evans said, "I want to find out what's going on with the drama club and about the new stage being built. That's another aspect that 2VS should be involved in. I'll take more initiative to get involved, because I'm kind of driven to talk to people and to move things forward."

Evans said she is aware of the continuing need to find funding for the 2VS programs and is already researching grant options. She said she has considerable experience with grant writing since her science jobs frequently required her to submit grant proposals.

One point Evans said she wanted to emphasize was that 2VS and the performances it brings are an important part of what enriches her life here in Seeley Lake. Evans said, "This is part of life for me. It's not just a job."