Meet 2017 Volunteer of the Year Ron Goodman!

At the March 3 Volunteer Luncheon, held at the Hilton Hotel in Santa Fe, El Rancho de las Golondrinas was proud to announce the 2017 Volunteers of the Year!  Again this year, the award was given to two outstanding volunteers: Ron Goodman and Sandee Rudnick.

Ron grew up in Johnston City, Illinois and attended Southern Illinois University where he majored in art education. It was there that he took a class in weaving and he’s been weaving ever since! Ron was a high school art teacher and served his country in the army in Vietnam. After returning to the States, he was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs and then worked as a ballroom dance instructor and later as a floral designer. He soon returned to Johnson City where he bought and operated a flower shop.

He then worked for the JC Penny Company in the display department and after a couple of promotions to Visual Manager, he ended up back in Colorado Springs. It was during this time that the company sent him to Santa Fe to help get the displays ready for the grand opening of a new store at the Santa Fe Place Mall. After sixteen years with JC Penny, Ron retired. He met Jerry Lieberman through a mutual friend and he and Jerry began taking trips to Santa Fe to enjoy the cultural aspects of the city.

During one of those trips, he heard about El Rancho de las Golondrinas. He and Jerry paid the Ranch a visit during Harvest Festival and Ron learned to do colcha that day! Ron remembers how exciting it was to walk through the gate and see everyone having fun, learning about crafts being demonstrated by volunteers stationed around the Golondrinas Placita courtyard. When Ron first saw the Loom Room he thought how wonderful it would be to weave on the beautiful old looms. When Jerry and Ron moved to Santa Fe, the first place they volunteered was El Rancho de las Golondrinas. And they have been here ever since.

Ron says that volunteering at Las Golondrinas has given him a strong sense of the history of the place and has made him aware that he is now a part of that history. He feels very grateful for the opportunity to help pass that along to the many guests who pass through our gates annually.

We extend our congratulations to Ron on being named 2017 Co-Volunteer of the Year!