This is an important time in The Doorway’s history as the Board of Directors is seeking a new leader to build on the wonderful legacy of Marilyn Dyck and to ensure The Doorway’s ongoing contribution to our community.
This is one of the most important tasks any Board has, and the Board has chosen to enter into an Executive Transition Management (ETM) process supported by impact8 Inc to give us all the time and focus to both maintain and continue to strengthen The Doorway during this time of transition.
To provide the space to carry out this work in a comprehensive way, we are committed to working with an Interim Executive Director to provide support and leadership to The Doorway as the Board works through the process to find and appoint a new, permanent Executive Director. Executive transitions in nonprofits with long serving founders see greater success when they hire an Interim Executive Director to help illuminate the incredible impact of a founder on every part of an organization. Without this step, it is very hard to identify the key strengths required in the organization’s leader, and to build on Marilyn’s legacy effectively.
We welcomed Sharon McCormick into this role in December. However, she was unable to continue after the holiday and so beginning January 20, Leslie Tamagi stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director. We feel fortunate to have Leslie joining The Doorway during this transition. She has deep experience with organizations in transition having been the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Southern Alberta during the consolidation of the southern Alberta chapters and previously as CEO of Vecova (Vocational & Rehabilitation Research Institute) for over 15 years, focusing on community integration. She recently served as Interim CEO for Kerby Centre, and the Board of Directors is excited to be working with Leslie over the next few months to learn from her experiences and insights.
Celebrating the rich history of The Doorway and its positive impact in the lives of participants is a priority for the Board. We are confident that our transition process will ensure stability in our operations, as well as the opportunity to move the organization forward strongly in honour of that history. We appreciate your support through this transition.
Andrew Hunter, Board Chair