IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1531444
IPC COMMUNITY 61 WINTER 2025 Teresa Rowe As a member of The Golden Gnomies, I am the creative direc- tor of the program. We select the theme, statue, decorations, menu, and cadence of the program. We are always thinking outside the box to keep the event focused on honoring our A-Team members while also entertaining the attendees. I enjoy the challenge, and that includes teaching some of the other staff liaisons how to use a hot glue gun—think of it as a soldering iron only with glue instead of solder. This year, I was the emcee. I had a great script, and only had to do a little quick thinking when some pre- senters and winners had last-minute cancellations. One special note: When Christina Rutherford of Honeywell Aerospace (who cancelled last minute) was announced as Outstanding A-Team Member of the Year, I made a last-minute decision to call her. She was able to give her acceptance speech from her evacuation site north of Hurricane Milton's destructive path. We are now in full planning mode for 2025, and look forward to welcoming everyone to IPC Builds 2025 in Denton, Texas. Does anyone want to attempt to guess the theme? Zenaida Valianu (Training Manager) Being part of the Golden Gnomes event plan- ning team has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The event was filled with excitement as I welcomed attendees at the door, setting the tone for a memorable dinner. The highlight was undoubtedly presenting the coveted gnomes to the awardees at the Golden Gnomes Award Ceremony. It was exhilarating and humbling, adding a memorable chapter to my journey with the Golden Gnomes. One of the night's funniest moments occurred when I accidentally handed out the wrong tro- phy. The stage lighting, viewing angle, and font made reading the winner's name challenging, leading to the mix-up. Thankfully, I swapped out the gnomes, ensuring everyone received their rightful recognition. This lighthearted moment added a bit of humor to the ceremony and reminded us that even the best-laid plans can have their hiccups. THE 2024 GOLDEN GNOMES