The Ballard Historical Society is focusing on something it doesn't do all that often; looking to the future instead of the past as it loses long-term members, and with them, a wealth of institutional knowledge about the once independent city.

Ten-year member and former president of the society Mary Fortino left in December. Current vice-president Martha Obenauer is resigning this summer after eight years on the board.

Both women's personal lives caught up with them. Obenauer's landscape design business is growing and she wants to spend more time volunteering at her children's schools.

"Just too busy," she said. "It's been a big transition (for the society)."

Fortino needed to make money for her family, too. The role as president is demanding, often taking up more than 40 hours a week of volunteer work.

"It was a fulltime job," Fortino said.

Marnie McGrath, a member of the Ballard Landmark District Board, was supposed to start as president this fall, but backed out, much to the disappointment of three-year member Laura Cooper.

Soon, Cooper will be the board's longest-term member.

"The organization is in transition now," said Cooper. "Our institutional history only goes back three years (now)."

"It's a big problem," said Obenauer.

This is the non-profit organization's second major transition since it was founded in 1988 by residents interested in historic research and architectural preservation of Ballard homes and landmarks. It was more of a social group back then, with regular parties and potlucks, said Cooper.

When she joined 10 years ago, Fortino remembers the average age on the board was about 75. Most were retired, so they had a lot of time to focus on the society.

"They were starting a whole new chapter in their lives," said Fortino. It's how they were able to research and write in just six months Ballard's first extensive history book, "Passport to Ballard."

Now, most of the board members have small children and day jobs. Finding a new president with enough free time to focus on the organization will be the new board's first challenge, said Fortino.

"It's a concern," she said. "I think it's probably a dilemma for a lot of non-profits. It's not like a book club where you meet once a month."

When Fortino took over as president seven years ago, the vision changed to encompass a much larger picture.

"(Fortino) was a big visionary - she's great institutional knowledge," said Cooper, whose Ballard roots can be traced back to her great-grandparents who owned a house here in the early 1900's.

Fortino led the society to complete several large projects, including the Ballard Historic Marker Project last spring, which placed commemorative plaques on 26 buildings located within the Ballard Avenue Landmark District.

She also oversaw the completion of the Ballard Walking Tour and sustained the society's biggest fundraiser, the tri-annual Old Home Tour.

Not only does the new board have a large learning curve and even bigger shoes to fill, it must figure out ways to interest and reach the newer, younger families that are moving into Ballard, Obenauer said.

While membership has stayed pretty steady at about 100 members, there's fear it could suffer if the group doesn't make an effort to respond to the rapidly changing community.

Cooper will help lead the new generation of the organization with exactly that focus. A few new board members with technology skills plan to revamp the Web site, which Cooper said is "kinda stuck in the mid-1990's," and use other digital outreach tools.

"I think we're heading in a great direction," Obenauer said. "Continue to honor the history of Ballard because you don't want to lose it with all the new families coming in."

The group is eager to start on its next big project. Cooper said that could include rewriting "Passport to Ballard." There are also plans to re-partner with the Nordic Heritage Museum, which is where the organization got its start.

Obenauer predicts she and Fortino will stay involved with the group in some advisory capacity.

"I don't think I have any choice," she said. "It's hard to pull away. But change is inevitable. Things don't stay the same."

Attend the society's annual spring lecture, May 8. Hear Caroline T. Swope, author of "Classic Houses of Seattle," discuss Ballard residential architecture from 1880 to 1930 at the Ballard Library, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W., 7 p.m. in the community room.

A digital archive of more than 1,000 Ballard photographs can be found on the society's Web site, www.ballardhistory.org, Become a member online or call 784-3783 to get involved.

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com