Reflections on a Decade with NESEA from Executive Director Florence MacGregor

Happy New Year!!

This week I am celebrating a professional milestone: it has been ten years since I first joined the NESEA staff and this incredible community. It’s my NESEA anniversary.

I graduated from Smith College in 2015, and, after a season of working full-time in the barn-based store of a fruit farm, I joined the NESEA team. I was originally hired as the Program and Membership coordinator, a position that allowed me to jump into many different projects and to learn a lot about our work and audience. Over the years, I have worn several hats as a staff member, and I was named the Executive Director in 2022.

I am so lucky to have spent the last decade — more than 25% of my life! — with this organization. I am incredibly proud to lead NESEA and to work somewhere that provides so many people inspiration, connection, education, and opportunities as they improve their practices, build their careers, and form lasting bonds.

When asked what I like about my job — not why I respect the mission, but what I enjoy about my day-to-day role — my answer is that I have all of the benefits of working with a small, close team (my fantastic colleagues and our board of directors), and that I also get to work side-by-side with and learn from the members that lead our programs, particularly the conferences, Pro Tours, and the Bottom Lines program. 

Like anyone else who comes to NESEA, I have greatly benefited from my time here, learning and forging genuine connections with others in the community, whether we are working together to plan the next conference or whether we are catching up near the tea station at a Pro Tour. Ten years feels like a long time to me, but I am still growing and having a lot of fun. Thank you all for that.

We spent 2025 celebrating our 50th anniversary as an organization. I’m optimistic about what 2026 will bring to NESEA, and grateful to be a part of it.

Best,
Florence