Tribute to Charlene O'Brien

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Thank You to Outgoing Friends of Dennis Pickleball President,  Charlene O’Brien
 

With our 2023 pickleball season underway, the Friends of Dennis Pickleball Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to thank Charlene O’Brien for her years of service on the board and most recently as President of FODP Board of Directors.
 
Charlene brought her many and diverse skills to her tenure as president.  Charlene worked in the corporate world where she developed and used her strong management skills, which she then transferred seamlessly to her work as president of FODP.  Charlene also taught business students at Bentley University for several years.  Charlene’s experiences in the corporate world and in the world of education provided her with the ability to run a meeting with ground rules of respect and structure where all board members knew that their ideas would be valued and heard.  Charlene is an active listener and values hearing many opinions and ideas around topics.  As a result, Charlene was able to lead discussions where varying points of view were allowed to be explored and discussed until reasonable conclusions were reached. 
 
As with any organization, a variety of topics always needs to be addressed and resolved.  New ideas always need to be explored for possible implementation.  Charlene led the board in these tasks with her ongoing commitment to providing the best experiences possible for the membership of Dennis pickleball.  Working with the town of Dennis and its Recreation Department is a responsibility inherent in supporting the FODP membership.  When Charlene took over the reins of the presidency, she enthusiastically reached out to the town to build a positive working relationship.  That relationship has resulted in many improvements to the Wixon courts which required a partnership between our FODP volunteer group and the town of Dennis.
 
One of Charlene’s passions, regarding pickleball, is her commitment to beginner players by providing coaching for them to begin the season and to have available as the season progresses.  Beginners have provided much positive feedback regarding coaching.  Charlene always appreciated the work that court monitors do for our program and made sure to keep respect and support at the forefront of any decisions made regarding those members who volunteer their time as court monitors.
 
Charlene’s compassion for others and her positive attitude toward life’s challenges has given her a quiet strength that is rare and admirable.  One of Charlene’s goals in dealing with anything that required a resolution, was to look for a “Win, win!”  Well, Charlene, as we celebrate your time as president of FODP and as we offer our sincere thanks to you for sharing all of your guidance and skills, we want you to know that YOU are a “Win, win!” in every way. 
 
We thank you for your time, your wisdom, your support, your work, and for opening your lovely home to the board for many meetings.  We are thankful that you will be available for consultation as our wonderful organization moves forward.  
 
If any of our great members see Charlene, wearing those great hats of hers, at the courts, take a moment to thank her for the work she has done for us all! We certainly look forward to playing with you at our beautiful Wixon courts, Charlene!  Enjoy your time with your wonderful husband, John, and with your lovely family.