VNU Elects Board Members at Annual Meeting

The 41st annual meeting of Village Northwest Unlimited (VNU) was held on October 27, 2016 at the Village Wansink Center. There were 83 members of the corporation in attendance.

Attendees elected four incumbents to serve three-year terms on Village Northwest Unlimited’s Board of Directors. Joel Orthmann, Marcus, IA and Greg Geels, Sheldon, IA were elected to serve a third term. Duane Muecke, Sheldon, IA and Randy Feenstra, Hull, IA were elected to serve a second term. Dennis Ten Clay, Sheldon, IA was elected to his first term, taking the place of retiring board member Dr. Scott Lichty of Sheldon, IA.

Other board members are Barry Whitsell, President & CEO; Pam Thornton, Chairperson; Lyle Kuiper, Treasurer; Cindy Barwick, Heidi Brown and Kathy Landhuis of Sheldon, IA; Dan DeKoter, Spirit Lake, IA; Ruth Hobson of Lake Park, IA; and Pastor Doris Lindley of Sanborn, IA.

VNU’s Chief Financial Officer, Justin Jonas, reviewed the yearly financial report. The organization also recognized Kevin Ten Haken, Boyden, IA, for his service on the VNU Foundation Board.

To conclude the evening’s program, Krista Van Bruggen, Artist in Residence, provided an overview of the Imagine Art Program, a therapeutic art program launched in 2014 at the Village. Since its beginning, 83 individuals have been touched by the program, with 25 individuals participating on a weekly basis. She shared examples of how the therapeutic art program helps individuals with development of fine motor skills, ataxia, strength, chronic pain, focus, pride and self-worth, healing from abuse, and relaxation. Providing a creative outlet for individuals, the Imagine Art Program is a place where the focus is solely on what a person CAN do, not on their disability.

Van Bruggen also led attendees through a group art project to illustrate how we are all artists, part of a larger picture, making the world a richer place to enjoy.