A note to the Ecotrust community

Dear Friends,

Last week, I shared with our team my decision to transition out of my role of Executive Director of Ecotrust by June 2022. This is a natural evolution of the organization and a great opportunity to bring on new leadership with skills and attributes that fully align with our new Strategic Plan.  While leadership transitions are disruptive, they are also healthy and inevitable, and I think Ecotrust has a ton to gain by bringing in the right leadership for this time, just as I was the right leader for a different time.

Over the past five-plus years, we’ve gotten some important things done together—a founder transition; increased work in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; navigating the COVID pandemic; a new five-year Strategic Plan, a more racially diverse team and board—and we have arrived at a place where new leadership will help Ecotrust reach even greater heights.

From my own standpoint, I am feeling the call for a professional chapter that allows me to help other social impact leaders and organizations succeed. Ecotrust has challenged me to go deep on this region and its issues, which I have loved, but I am also eager to re-engage with friends and colleagues who work outside this region. Most importantly, I’d like to better support my wife, Bridget, in expanding her psychotherapy practice and play a greater role in my kids’ lives as they start middle school.

Our board members Alexandria McBride and Gun Denhart are chairing a Search Committee that includes staff representation and will assess what kind of leadership will best serve Ecotrust moving forward. Stay tuned for more on that in the coming months.

I am incredibly proud of this team and this organization. We have taken a strong legacy and adapted it to be more relevant to the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.  We have a great team, a dedicated board, and a powerful new Strategic Plan. I have been humbled by the opportunity to lead this organization for the past six years, and I am totally committed to leading us through the best possible transition.

Finally, I am deeply grateful to you, our community of partners and supporters, for your friendship and for your commitment to a climate-smart, equitable, and prosperous future.

Onwards,

Jeremy