Fond Farewells Over the Summer

One of the roles of an executive director of a nonprofit is to help identify and recruit talented and passionate individuals to fill staff positions within the organization. It is these individuals that will be the cornerstone of ensuring organizational success. I have been quite fortunate to have been part of bringing incredibly gifted individuals to fill critical positions at the Alliance, particularly during the post-merger growth period.

While I realize that engaging the right people is important, I also realize that when those people are doing good work, they attract the attention of other organizations. I appreciate others recognizing outstanding talent and know that with recognition, staff transitions inevitably will occur.

When that happens it is sad to say goodbye, but it is also exciting to know that other opportunities have called that allow the growth of more experience, knowledge, and passion. It’s all part of the professional journey we embark on.

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It is my honor to let you know that three staff and one volunteer from The Alliance are seizing wonderful opportunities to use their Alliance experience to take the next step on their journey. We celebrate with them and wish them nothing but the greatest of success in their new endeavors.

In the two and half years of my tenure with The Alliance, I did a lot of writing, graphics, and editing for publications, the annual report, the monthly newsletter, and social media. I worked with an internal team on developing an entirely new website and creating content for it. That same team also worked on advancing the Innovations Lab concept from pilot to practice, addressing the logistics along the way, asking questions, and creating marketing messaging and timelines.  

Along with those activities, I maintained the career page on the website, and worked on upgrading the Member Portal, Member benefits, membership dues and outreach, two Membership drives and all the collateral marketing, the membership development plan, and more.

I enjoyed planning the Annual Meeting, held in April of this year, and the program for that meeting.

Our constituents were always inspiring, and it was a treat to feature them whenever possible.

My colleagues at The Alliance are highly qualified, engaged, interesting, dedicated and hard-working, not to mention fun!  These wonderful people made the time we spent together so meaningful, while getting a new organization on its feet and moving full steam ahead.

As I transition from The Alliance, I will be working as Program Manager for the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi, which is an independent operating foundation focused on improving the policies and systems that affect the well-being of children in our state. The CFM, founded in 2019, serves as a convener, facilitator, advocate and catalyst for positive change.

I wish all the best to the MS Alliance and its constituents and will continue to engage as a member and partner.

A note from Maribeth’s new Executive Director, Linda Southward, at Children’s Foundation of MS:

The Children’s Foundation of Mississippi (CFM) has had the pleasure of working with Maribeth Kitchings as a contractor the past two and half years, shortly after the launch of the CFM in August 2019.

As the CFM has continued to grow in its reach and programming, we are extremely pleased to bring Maribeth on as programs manager for the CFM on several current programs, throughout various phases of the projects.  She will also work closely with the CFM’s communication coordinator on several outreach activities.

Maribeth has made tremendous contributions to the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy, and we are grateful that Maribeth is willing to share her wide array of skill sets with the CFM.

We are also grateful of the on-going partnership and excellent work of that the Alliance offers to nonprofits and philanthropic entities across the state.  The CFM is pleased to be a member of the Alliance.

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I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of you throughout my time as the Central Mississippi Hub Director. It is bittersweet for me to share with you that I will be transitioning out of this role and moving down the road to work with Canopy Children’s Solutions!
 
Each of you welcomed me into this position with open arms, excited to share about the work happening within your organization and full of ideas on how I can best support you. I hope that you have felt supported by the Hub Network and by The Alliance during my time as director. 
 
I hope to continue supporting each of you, connecting with you, and working together to do good work in our beloved state. 

A note from Jamie’s new team at Canopy Children’s Services:

As the Development Specialist, Jamie will be on the front lines with Canopy donors and volunteers. From managing the donor databases to engaging communities, Jamie will play a key role in building support  for Canopy’s solutions throughout the state – impacting the more than 6,000 children Canopy serves each year. 

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In navigating life, we never know what twists and turns we may face. Life is full of new, rich, and deep experiences. Some are planned, and some arise with little warning. It is with excitement and a heavy heart to announce my departure from The Alliance. Throughout this journey, I am honored to have met and worked amongst amazing organizations and passionate people. Through this time, I have found an unconditionally loving community determined to see change. While looking back on my last year at The Alliance, nothing but gratitude shines through my heart. Serving dedicated, devoted, and essential organizations in our state has been a privilege. An even greater privilege has been connecting with so many of you. Thank you for trusting me to listen to your challenges and successes. I am honored to have seen a glimpse of what you wake up to do each day.

I am immensely grateful to The Alliance team and board for their support throughout this journey. I could not have done this work without your trust and support. As I move into my next role with Springboard To Opportunities, I am eager for a continued partnership with The Alliance and with all of you. Together, we will continue to make our world a better place.

A note from Julia’s new Executive Director, Aisha Nyandoro, at Springboard to Opportunities:

We are thrilled that Julia will be joining our team as a Project Associate. Julia will assist the Advocacy, Training, and Power Building Director in the planning, implementation, and execution of Springboard To Opportunities’ fellowship programs, which are intended to help residents understand and hone their power and expertise, build advocacy skills and tools, expand their networks, and make connections between larger systems and policies and their day to day lives.  I know that Julia’s varied skillset  and desire to learn will be tremendous assets to our organization.

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My time as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer for The Alliance has been extremely rewarding and a significant learning experience that I value. The Alliance is a forward-thinking organization that works tirelessly to advocate on behalf of both the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, bringing both together to help move Mississippi forward.

My future will involve further work with a Northeast Mississippi nonprofit as well as my own company, one dedicated to providing web design services to start-up and small nonprofit organizations that are constrained by budget. My website, www.bonairemediapartners.com will be online soon, and I invite you visit the site and discuss your needs with us.