Kjersten Schladetsky and our New York Community

Kjersten Schladetsky may have lived in Minneapolis, but she was also a lifetime honorary member of the Greater New York City Tessitura User Group. KJ worked with many of our organizations, either as we implemented Tessitura under her guidance or with hands-on roles in other projects where her care ensured our success.

In recognition of her impact on us, with advice from our colleagues at the Tessitura Network, NYCTUG is coordinating a few additional ways to honor her life:

Thanking the First Responders

Members of Minneapolis' 3rd Police Precinct rushed to help Kjersten, William, and Nelson, only to discover first-hand the worst possible outcome. We would like to show our support as they grapple with that experience. We will organize the following:

Winter Weather Care Package
To help make sure these officers are well outfitted as they respond to 911 calls on other winter days, we will send them warm hats, socks, scarves, and other helpful options for the cold. We'll facilitate this via a Lands' End gift card--make a contribution to our total here.

NYCTUG leadership will send the precinct the gift card, along with a thank you letter and some chocolate hugs and kisses.

Coffee Break Supplies
If your organization would like to individually thank these police officers while representing how influential Kjersten was to us, please send them a small, coffee break-themed package. Suggestions for what to include are:

• Mug, or any drinkware, featuring your organization's name/logo
• Coffee or tea, or other small, shippable snacks
• Thank you note

Sample language, and mailing instructions, are available here.

Memory Book

Kjersten worked directly with at least ten of our local organizations, and many of us will personally miss her. The American Museum of Natural History, her NYC home for three years, is coordinating a Memory Book. Our anecdotes, tributes, and condolences will be able to be submitted online, but we are still working to finish that set up. Please look for a follow up post with a link. 

The compiled entries will be shared with her family, as well as the first responders.

Many across our community have been in touch over the past week, mourning together and asking how we can connect to honor KJ. Several of those conversations have led to the above plans, and we hope they resonate.

Please ask any follow up questions about these plans by either replying to this post, or sending an email to NYCTUG@gmail.com.