First Quarter 2024

Q&A with Lauryn Hendrix, 
2024 Board President

‍What brought you to the MSS Board?

5 Years ago, I participated in the Generations class connected with the Nonprofit Management Center. The class was held at the MSS building, which was my first exposure to the Midland Shared Spaces organization. I immediately was impressed with the facility, I loved how many organizations MSS supports as a whole, and I really enjoyed spending time with the staff members and I wanted to be apart. 

Why is serving nonprofits important to you?

Honestly, I do it because it's fulfilling to me and it brings joy to my life. I feel blessed to be able to spend my time specifically with the MSS Board and staff. I always say, that I've learned more and benefitted more from serving with MSS than I've contributed. The MSS Board and Staff are some of the best people I know, and I love that I've gotten to be a part over the past handful of years. My husband and I are proud to be apart of the Midland community and part of that is getting to be a part of the impact nonprofits have on our town. 

You joined the MSS Board in January 2019. What is your favorite thing MSS has accomplished or your proudest board member moment in the last four years? 

MSS has accomplished so many great things over the last four years, but I think my proudest moment would be MSS establishing The State of the Nonprofits podcast. I am really proud of the collaboration between MSS and our tenant, The Recording Library of West Texas. Creating a podcast and a platform for nonprofit discussions in our community and how educational it has been is something that has really excited me. 

What are you most excited about in 2024 for MSS?

2024 is such a great year for MSS. 10 Years is an incredible accomplishment! I'm most excited about celebrating MSS - our success with building management, local collaborations, and most importantly our growth within our IT department. Over the years, every direction MSS has chosen to progress has been methodical; it's one of my favorite attributes about our staff and something I've most respected about our Board of Directors. 

‍Ten years ago, Midland Shared Spaces (MSS) opened its doors to area nonprofits and the Midland community. MSS gratefully continues to provide affordable, quality facility space and back-office services to Midland County nonprofits. Maintaining 100% capacity for over a decade, MSS has become a thriving physical and virtual hub of nonprofit activity. 

The MSS Board of Directors and staff invite you to join us in celebrating our first decade of success at a special 10th Anniversary Luncheon on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Petroleum Club of Midland. 

‍Keynote Speaker

Thaddeus Squire

‍Chief Commons Steward
Social Impact Commons, Philadelphia, PA

‍Thaddeus has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit management field, focusing on arts and cultural heritage. His significant work in nonprofit resource sharing began in 2010 as founder of CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia, the first comprehensive fiscal sponsor focusing on arts and heritage, which manages more than 120 independent organizations. Thaddeus’s creative practice is focused on systems design for nonprofit resource sharing, in particular practices based in commoning and commons management principles. His work is grounded in the fields of American Pragmatism, Common Pool Resource Economics, Cooperative Management, New Localism and the Applied Behavioral Sciences. Additionally, he has deep expertise in the history of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, nonprofit management, fine and performing arts, heritage preservation, and museum sciences. Thaddeus holds degrees from Princeton University, the University of Leipzig (J. William Fulbright Fellowship), and the Mendelssohn Conservatory of Music & Theatre.

‍Celebrating MSS Staff

Midland Shared Spaces is proud to celebrate 10 years of service with three critical team members! Gary Hires, Marc Kondrup and Kent Bowden have served MSS and the nonprofit community with professionalism and integrity. We are grateful for their hardwork and dedication to the mission and the sector!

‍Meet Our Newest Staff

‍Leslie English is the first Marketing and Development Coordinator for MSS. She started her journey with MSS as the part-time Impact Coordinator in 2020. A West Texas native, she grew up in Snyder, Texas. Leslie has an associate degree in general studies from Midland College and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Texas Tech University. 

‍MSS enhances nonprofit efficiency, provides affordable workspace and
back-office services, and fosters collaborations
that better serve the nonprofits and people of Midland County. 
To find out more about MSS, contact Executive Director, Autumn Vest at (432) 685-0404.