News & Views

I have some very exciting news. After thirty years as Executive Director of Community Resource Exchange, I am handing the reins over to our two star-quality deputy directors, Holly Delany Cole and Valyrie Laedlein. 

Holly and Val have shared leadership with me over the last ten years, and the board has endorsed their team leadership as Co-Directors effective July 1, 2010.

The CRE board asked Holly, Val and I to begin succession planning conversations over two years ago, and throughout that process I came to fully appreciate how lucky CRE is to have these two dedicated leaders in the wings.  I am happy to leave CRE in their competent hands as I take on the title of Director of Capacity Building at The Atlantic Philanthropies.  Atlantic's joint commitment to capacity building and social justice, makes it a perfect place to bring all that I have learned from CRE's clients and staff over the years. 

This has come about sort of quickly, and could never have happened without the extraordinary leadership of the CRE Board, especially the current Chair, Patricia Hewitt, and the former Chair, Anne Hess.  This seamless transition is all to the credit of a well-prepared staff and a flexible and facile board of directors.  I will be leaving CRE officially as of June 30, and starting at Atlantic on September 1st.

You haven't heard the last of me.  We are planning a 30^th Anniversary event in March 2011, and I'm hoping that all of our paths will cross there.  I can reached at CRE through June. 

Fran