As we begin work on the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, we are also wishing our colleague Daniel Neel well on his well-deserved retirement. Daniel first joined us in early 2021 with a mandate to re-invigorate our fundraising efforts at a time when the pandemic was presenting operational challenges we had never encountered before. Without Daniel’s expertise—and I’m not being hyperbolic here—we might not have made it to the 40th. We are so grateful for the solid foundation he laid while he was here because it, along with all of our determination, will allow us to continue moving toward sustainability for the organization. The Western Folklife Center will be forever in Daniel’s debt.
“The Western Folklife Center will be forever in Daniel’s debt... That’s why we’re thrilled to tell you he won’t be straying too far.”
We were incredibly lucky to have someone with his background on the team. Much like everyone else at the Folklife Center, he was asked to wear many hats (and not all of them cowboy). His knowledge of finance gained from stints on Wall Street and as a former certified public accountant proved as beneficial to us as his experience leading fundraising efforts for Las Vegas’ Smith Center and the Animal Foundation. That’s why we’re thrilled to tell you he won’t be straying too far. Daniel has agreed to continue helping us fundraise for the Cowboy Poetry Hotel & Cultural Center (we’ll also be sharing more on that very soon). And chances are, we’ll see him in Elko next January, too, and this time, we hope with his guitar in hand since there will be plenty of time for him to check out the open mics.
If you are interested in joining the Western Folklife Center as our Director of Development & Corporate Sponsorships, we’re interested in hearing more about you! Check out the job description and then email us at jobs@westernfolklife.org. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference for both the Western Folklife Center and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
