We’re entering 2014 more confident than ever and that is in great part due to the news I’m excited to share with you today.
Our new strategic direction: For the past year and a half, I have worked with our board of directors and staff on a new strategic plan to resource our work and maximize our impact. And today we’re ready to announce it.
In short, we’ll continue our work of advancing women’s economic security but we’ll now do it through four core programs: the Women’s Policy Institute (our public policy training program), the Giving Circle Network (our collective philanthropy program), Stand with Women (our policy advocacy program) and the Bridge to Economic Security (our workforce development program).
Why this new strategic plan and why now? Simply, we needed a new action plan to effectively respond to the new economic and political reality we find ourselves in California. Over the last six years we experienced the Great Recession, five years of state budget cuts to the programs that help low-income families make ends meet as well as a skyrocketing cost of living. As a result, the poverty rate in California is now the highest in the nation, one in three single mother heads of household is living in poverty and one in four children is poor. Faced with this dire situation, we had to Step It Up (title of our most recent annual report)—reassess, reconceptionalize and innovate our work.
My new role: Through our strategic planing process, I saw the opportunity to move into a new role with the Foundation — one that is aligned with the Foundation’s goals and my own passion. I am so grateful that our board of directors engaged with me in a process of thoughtful conversations about the possibilities. As a result, I will be moving into a new role as director of public policy, and stepping down from my position as president and CEO. As director of public policy, I will work on advancing and advocating for public policies that champion low-income women and enable them to achieve economic opportunity and security. The actual details of the position will be worked out in partnership with the incoming CEO. I feel completely blessed to be able to continue to do work I love in an organization I love.
Our board of directors and I are excited about my new role because we believe that the time is ripe for us to use public policy more powerfully to affect systemic level change in our state.
Our next CEO: We’re thrilled to start our search for our next leader. We’re looking for an inspirational and forward-thinking chief executive officer who will help us build on our successful track record and help us broaden our reach and impact.
We’d really appreciate your help with promoting and advertising this prestigious and deeply rewarding position within your social and professional networks. You can read the CEO job description on our website and share on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. For additional information about this position, or to nominate a candidate, contact Brett Byers at brett@thehawkinscompany.com.