We are writing today with news of change––something we work for every day at REACH. Earlier this year, Laura shared with the Board of Directors that she would like to make room for new leadership and step away in January 2023 from her role as REACH’s Executive Director. As we approach this change, the Board’s confidence in the organization that Laura and her team have built and sustained for two decades is extremely high. The Board is grateful to Laura for her tremendous leadership during her tenure as Executive Director, and to Deborah Heimel, Associate Executive Director, who has worked closely with Laura for over 15 years and will help REACH with this smooth transition. The Board has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in the search for a new Executive Director.
REACH recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Over the decades, the work to prevent and address domestic and sexual violence has seen many changes. And so has REACH. During Laura’s tenure, we have doubled the size of our emergency shelter and moved to new office space, which is larger and more welcoming, all while maintaining a sound financial foundation. Indeed, our budget has quadrupled along with the size of our staff and the number of people we serve on an annual basis. We continue to lean into our values of doing this work as part of a larger movement, striving for the change we believe is possible. And we do so in ways that promote integrity, kindness, respect, justice, and wellbeing.
The next several weeks will be busy ones! In addition to our virtual Coffee and Cocktails events on September 14 and 15, we are looking ahead to October and events promoting Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We look forward to seeing you at our virtual Annual Meeting on October 12 and in person at our first Corporate Breakfast on October 25. And don’t forget our next Reach for the Stars Gala on April 29, 2023! Of course, we’re always happy to get together for a cup of coffee (or cocktail) any time as we move through this transition for REACH.
Thank you for reaching with us.
