With Deepest Gratitude: Honoring Fred Wilbur’s Years of Service

It is with great appreciation—and more than a touch of bittersweetness—that we announce the departure of Fred Wilbur from his long-held role as Treasurer of the Board of The Watershed Journal Literary Group.

Fred has served this organization with extraordinary care, insight, and generosity for many years. His tenure with us reaches back to the earliest days of Watershed, when we were simply a small circle of dreamers with a vision for a literary journal rooted in the voices, stories, and images of our region. At that time, we had little more than enthusiasm and a shared love of local creativity—but what we lacked in structure, Fred helped us build. His guidance and support shaped our financial foundation, allowing us to grow in a way that felt both ambitious and sustainable.

Fred brought to his role not only professional intelligence, but a rare intuitive sense of what this organization needed as it evolved. He could see beyond numbers and spreadsheets to the real people behind the work—the contributors, volunteers, readers, and neighbors who make Watershed what it is. He understood that a community-based nonprofit doesn’t just need sound budgeting (though he provided that in abundance); it needs heart, balance, vision, and someone who can see five steps ahead without losing sight of what’s happening right now. Fred has been that someone for us time and again.

Under his stewardship, we grew from a grassroots literary magazine into a multifaceted organization that now publishes quarterly issues of The Watershed Journal, runs an independent bookstore, hosts writing workshops, book clubs, open mics, author talks, and more—all while remaining financially grounded and mission-driven. So much of this growth has happened quietly, steadily, behind the scenes, where Fred has given countless hours to our board, offering wisdom, patience, humor, and a deep belief in our work.

We will miss his steady presence in board meetings, his calm voice when challenges arise, and his uncanny ability to balance pragmatism with hope. But most of all, we are grateful—grateful for his years of service, for his unwavering belief in the value of local stories, and for the trust he placed in all of us to carry this work forward.

Fred leaves behind a legacy that will continue to shape Watershed’s future. The organization is stronger because of his dedication, and so are we as individuals lucky enough to have worked alongside him.

Thank you, Fred, for everything.

With sincere appreciation,
The Watershed Journal Literary Group