Executive Director’s Letter

Members, I want to introduce myself as your new Executive Director for The Best of Missouri Hands.  I am Andrea Quiroz Jira and I am so excited to be on board and looking forward to meeting each and every one of you.  Art has always been my passion and continues to be so to this day.  I come from a long line of artists, so it was inevitable.

I was born and raised in Kansas City but when it was time for college I, like many students, moved to Columbia to attend the University and never left.  I fell in love with Columbia, the people and all that it has to offer.  Although I am still a city girl at heart, I enjoy living in a smaller town that is so very cosmopolitan.  I love the cultural events, whether it be musical festivals, museums or the great restaurants, there is so much from which to choose.

So you may be asking, what makes me qualified to be your new director?  I am a jewelry artist and have been for over 15 years, as well as having co-owned a small business with my husband.  I can say I have walked in your shoes.  I know the good, the bad and ugly of running a business with my husband.  Prior to that, I worked for the University Concert Series and KBIA as their assistant director.  I was responsible for booking the Broadway productions, selling sponsorships, event planning, relationship development and fundraising.  After that I was the membership director for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce where I was responsible for recruiting new members, working with volunteers, and event planning.  Those skills coupled with my experience as an artist will help me help us grow this organization and move it in the way and direction you, the membership, want it to go.

So I have a question for you.  What is it you want from a new director and what do you want for this organization?  What is important to you and your business?  Do you want information regarding marketing your business?  Do you want to get into more galleries, or perhaps help in deciding whether or not a website is right for you?  Whatever it may be, I am interested in knowing how we can help you be the best you can be.  To quote our mission statement, “The Best of Missouri Hands is dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s Artists and Artisans.”  We take those words to heart and truly want that for you.  And as our Vision states, “we are a resource for connecting, educating and inspiring you, the Missouri artist and artisans.”  But with all that being said, we can’t do it alone. You have to get involved, in as much as we have an obligation to you, you have an obligation to the organization.  I have had years of membership recruitment and every year we have had some people say they didn’t get anything out of it.  I tell them, we are in this together.  So I ask, what has been your part, what have you done, have you attended evernts, are you serving on a committee, what has been your level of participation?  As I said earlier, we can’t do this alone, we need your input, ideas and participation to make this a successful, viable organization.

Again, I am excited to be on board and I encourage you to contact me with how we can make this the best artists’ organization ever.