Please join me in congratulating Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director of Pillar Nonprofit Network, as she embarks on the next phase of her leadership journey, joining Community Foundations of Canada as Senior Advisor, Transformation and teaching at Huron University College in the Governance, Leadership and Ethics program.
Michelle will remain in her role as Executive Director to facilitate a smooth transition period and to onboard a new leader into 2021. Her continued leadership, with support from our talented leadership team and staff, will provide continuity and stability for our organization and network during these unprecedented times. Going forward, Michelle will continue to be a strong supporter of Pillar and remain engaged in the network.
The Pillar board is activating its search for a new Executive Director of Pillar Nonprofit Network, open to both internal and external candidates.
Pillar’s board and staff teams are excited to see Michelle embrace new opportunities that will provide national reach for the work Pillar has helped advance in our community, such as championing a network approach and cross-sector collaboration, strengthening policy and governance and promoting equity and inclusion.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation for Michelle and the incredible contributions she has made over the past 14 years to grow Pillar to the organization it is today, including the catalyzing role she played in establishing Innovation Works, VERGE Capital and CityStudio London.
At this pivotal moment in Pillar’s development, and in our collective history, Pillar is well-positioned for succession and the vision that accompanies new leadership.
Over the past year, we captured Pillar’s evolution as an organization on the Network Approach website, which was created as a tool for education and succession planning and will guide our roadmap for the future. We have shown our capability to navigate uncertain times while holding true to our role of being here for our network and fostering ways for us to lean on one another while maintaining a fiscally responsible position.
We look forward to the possibilities that will emerge from our shared future with new leadership and from our next strategic plan, spanning 2021-2023, with themes of addressing anti-racism, equity and inclusion and collaborating for systems transformation, arising from early consultations with our network. This emphasis will guide us to seize the opportunity to engage in a transition and recruitment process that embodies the principles of anti-oppression, equity and inclusion.
With all that we are facing in the world today, Pillar maintains its strong commitment to creating a just and equitable community and recovery that serves all. We continue to be adaptable and flexible, even in times of crisis and change. Through our evolution, we will continue to find new ways to support our network and facilitate cross-sector collaboration as we maintain our guiding commitment to foster an engaged, inclusive and vibrant community.
Sincerely,
Nicole Spriet
Board Chair, Pillar Nonprofit Network