I am writing to you while back East for the holidays. My only child has just delivered her first child – my sweet granddaughter, Hattie. It’s an exciting time for our daughter and her husband as well as for my husband and me. I am enthralled by seeing my baby with a baby of her own and am thrilled that I now can participate fully in my new role as Nana.
While my husband and I anticipated this moment, we reflected on the separation from loved ones that the pandemic imposed. At this stage in life, we crave connection with family and consequently have come to a momentous decision. As of April 2022, we will become residents of Frederick, Maryland, which is much closer to our daughter and her young family.
Moving will take me away from the East Bay, but it will not change my commitment to Impact100 East Bay and its mission. Our chapter’s collective aspiration is to do even more for those in need in the East Bay in the years to come. We intend to do so by keeping our eye on achieving our membership goal of 300 members by 2026. To support that goal, we will continue recruitment activities launched in 2021 and add other ones in 2022.
We want to ensure all members have an open invitation and opportunity to participate in the events and activities of the chapter, including offering more leadership roles that are not Board specific, and incorporating as many in-person get togethers as possible. Whether planned or informal, small or larger in size, gathering and learning about each other is our goal for 2022, while abiding by ongoing public health restrictions during COVID.
Mindful of these commitments, the Board has agreed to a transition plan for 2022. Our plan involves gradual change while maintaining continuity of leadership and keeping focused on membership growth and engagement. Key aspects of the plan include:
- Through 2022, I will share the President’s responsibilities with Stephanie Shaw, who is currently Co-Chair of Membership. We have worked out a month-by-month transition plan to ensure stability of the internal workings of the Board, preserve consistency in the President’s interaction with members, and move forward with the slate of events planned for the year.
- To ensure focus on membership, Stephanie will also continue as Co-Chair of Membership, while shifting some of her responsibilities to membership committee “leads” who will cover Recruitment, Member Outreach, and Community Events. Leads will be tasked with guiding activities for the chapter without serving on the Board. This is not a new idea within our chapter. In 2021 Melody Silberstein led a small team of talented and dedicated members to plan and host our 3 Community Events: April’s Mentally Adjusting to the New Normal, August’s Grant Recipient Impact Progress Update, and November’s The Giving Express.
- Stacey Stevens will continue as Co-Chair of Membership in 2022 and take on a technology leadership role too.
- The Board will accelerate our normal Q4 activity to review open Board positions to June to provide ample time to identify candidates for the President and other open Board positions that may arise in 2023.
- The plan also shifts a few internal Board activities from the President to other Board members in 2022. Some of these changes will continue beyond this transition year; others may be re-considered in planning for 2023.
Over our first 5 years Impact100 East Bay has awarded a total of $500,000 to nonprofit partners who are engaged in improving the lives of those in need in the East Bay. I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of this work from the beginning. As I transition away from the Board over the course of 2022, I remain committed to doing all I can to mitigate the impact of my life’s change on our chapter’s important continuing efforts.
I am so appreciative of the number of member volunteers we had in 2021. If you are a member in 2022, rest assured there are many ways your talents can be put to use. Our efforts will be better because of your involvement. Plan to join us February 15th for the Big Reveal, when you will learn how much money we will have to award in grants this year and hear details about volunteer opportunities.
I look forward to the promise of this new year with optimism, a healthy dose of caution, and excitement about what Impact100 East Bay will achieve.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Carol Nitz
Impact100 East Bay Board President