It is with a full heart and grounded optimism that I announce that I will be passing the baton to a new executive director in early 2017. At Arts Corps, we embrace and value personal and organizational change, just as we seek to inspire transformative change in the lives of low-income youth of color and in educational and youth-serving systems. After eight years as the director of this organization, and over ten as a member of this beautiful community, I am so excited for what will come next for Arts Corps, as well as for myself as I seek my next opportunity to create change.

While this has been a very hard decision, I know that the timing for this transition is right. Arts Corps is healthy, our strategic direction is clear, and our model proven. I have full confidence in our board of directors to hold our values and guide the organization through this transition, just as I trust our incredible youth, teaching artists, staff and community of supporters to carry forward the tremendous breakthroughs we have achieved while embracing new possibilities ahead.

Serving as a leader and member of the Arts Corps community has been the greatest professional experience of my life. I believe passionately in the mission and intention of this organization. In fact, I am not actually going far, just switching roles to that of devout donor and champion of this great work.

We are so grateful to Elizabeth for her leadership, insight, and unwavering commitment. She is a thoughtful strategist, an effective bridge builder, and a courageous advocate for the creative power of young people. She and an amazing team of staff, teaching artists, and collaborators have guided Arts Corps through a decade of innovation, expansion, and growing national recognition. Their efforts are firmly rooted in a deep commitment to equity and social justice, and they have fostered a strong culture of learning across the organization.

Elizabeth’s considered approach to this transition has given us the gift of a generous timeline. We have prepared behind the scenes, interviewing dozens of staff, teaching artists, board members, and passionate stakeholders from across our community. We’ve had the opportunity for deep thinking and expansive conversations about where Arts Corps has come from, where we are, and where we’re going. We’ve convened a Search Committee of staff, board, youth leaders, and teaching artists to guide us.

Over the coming months, we look forward to more thought-provoking conversations with people who share our passion for this work and have a vision for how they’d contribute to Arts Corps’ next chapter. And we have full confidence that our process involving diverse voices and perspectives will lead us to the next, just right executive director for Arts Corps.