For most of the 21 years it has been in existence, the Western States Center has been a source of strategic, technical, and social support to me and organizations I've worked with. I consider it a political home of sorts; a place where I gained many of the skills, the relationships and the confidence I needed to carve out a life in social change in the west. Now, as a staffperson of a foundation that supports progressive organizing, I can see how broad the impact of the Center has been. Time and again when I talk with leaders of progressive organizations, they tell me stories about the critical role the Center has played in their work, both as organizations and individuals, and about how Center staff people have changed their lives, building their confidence and supporting their leadership. I'm not sure how to evaluate the depth and breadth of the Center's affect on our community. Is it by the number of dollars leveraged into the region or the hundred or more stories of empowerment I've heard? Or do we count the names of the people and organizations we've met, the relationships we've built, and all that we've learned through them? By any measure, I know the Center has made a profound difference and I hope it will continue to do so for many years to come. Thank you Western States Center. Happy 21st birthday!