Jackson Hole says goodbye to one of its finest

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

By Richard Anderson

Specific phenomena define life in specific towns. Live in Jackson Hole for even a short time and you’re bound to experience the Off Season Shuffle, when roommates and employees suddenly and spontaneously rearrange themselves countywide.

Or the Killer Deal, be it a find at Browse ’n’ Buy or a sweet, low- or no-rent living arrangement on the West Bank. Or, conversely, the Winter from Hell, when just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

Live here a bit longer and you’ll encounter other quintessential Jackson Hole experiences, like Making Good, when you bump into the guy you used to bus tables with and trade notes about how far you’ve come since your skid days.

Or Valley Madness, when you realize that, as much as you love Jackson Hole, you’ve got to get the hell out of here or else you’ll kill someone. Or The Goodbye, when you bid adieu to close friends with whom you experienced all of the above but who have decided it’s time to move on.

This week, Jackson Hole says goodbye to one of its finest. For 15 years, Mark Berry has been doing his part to make Teton County a better place.

From his early days as an intern at the Jackson Hole Land Trust, to his ascendancy to assistant executive director at that esteemed nonprofit, through these past three and a half years when, as executive director of the Center for the Arts, he oversaw the construction of the two-phase, $36 million, 74,000-square-foot arts facility.

He has made innumerable close friends and left his mark on this community. Next week, however, he completes the move he initiated late last year, heading back to his native Central Valley, Calif.

I had the pleasure of making Mark Berry’s acquaintance the very first day I arrived in Jackson Hole. As I recall, he struck me as a fun and funny guy.

I was right, although I had no way of knowing what a close and constant friend he would become. I certainly could not have guessed all the valuable things he has taught me about expedition behavior, work, backcountry travel, people, community.

A lot has happened in both of our lives since that day in June when we first met. We’ve changed jobs, sustained and recovered from injuries, married women, bought houses and had kids. We’ve changed and we’ve stayed the same.

Which is, I suppose, the story of Jackson Hole, Wyo. It changes constantly but it’s still always the same old Jackson Hole. One more old friend moving away can’t change that.
Still, as Mr. Berry performs his final duties this week as the executive director of the Center for the Arts, I can’t shake the feeling that his departure will change Jackson Hole.

There aren’t many people like him around and Jackson Hole, like any community, could use as many as it can get. And even if the valley continues to buzz along, oblivious to his absence, I’ll notice every time I pass by the Center for the Arts, every time I pick up the phone to invite someone out for a beer or two, every time I set out for the mountains for an afternoon walk or overnight backpack. I’m sure I won’t be the only one.
PERMALINK:
Jackson Hole says goodbye to one of its finest | Planet JH News Article: Editorial

Leave a Comment