Hello Fellow Breakthrough Affiliates –
I believe that most of you are aware that the National Board of Trustees has been conducting a search for a new executive director for the Breakthrough Collaborative national office. I wanted to give you an update on the status of that search as we approach the end of the calendar year. In October and November, Senior Staff at National interviewed four candidates and made a recommendation to the Search Committee of the Board of their preferred candidate(s) in order of preference. The candidates represented, by all measures, a diverse collection of skill, background, experience, education, and leadership style. The Committee chose to make an offer to everyone’s top candidate – Ms. April Chou – after she came to the Breakthrough National Conference in Cambridge for a day to meet affiliate staff, National Trustees, and attend a few sessions.
In the end, April chose to decline the offer, saying essentially that while she has a huge respect and appreciation for the work we do, she did not believe that she has the passion for our mission, model, and goals that someone should have as a leader of the Collaborative. So while there was certainly disappointment about her choice, there is agreement that we do not want to ‘settle’ for an executive director who does not have the same passion, dedication, and commitment to the mission of what we do the way the rest of us do. And given that, the Trustee Search Committee did not believe that any of the other three candidates really met the expectations of the position in a way that would honor our work, our mission, and our commitment to our students.
We are in the fortunate position, at National, of being financially stable, of having a fantastic team of staff and directors, and of having the opportunity to move a very strategic set of initiatives forward, with passion and vigor, which concretely moves us toward achieving our long-range goals and the fulfillment of our mission. I don’t know if you see it yet, but the lens on the brand of Breakthrough is coming into sharper and sharper focus as we continue to clarify and define our practices and outcomes, measure our performance, and develop our skills and abilities toward a movement that forever changes the lives of the students we touch. This can only result in a more recognizable program, more and stronger community and national partnerships, and a better platform from which to raise the human and financial capital we need to continue and expand the great work that is Breakthrough.
I have agreed to remain as interim Executive Director for the next few months, as long as it takes for the Search Committee to find the right person to lead the National office and the Collaborative. The Search Committee will resume working with Common Good Careers to locate, screen, and supply viable candidates for consideration at the beginning of the new year. They have also agreed that the last round of recruiting and interviewing has only helped to more clearly define what they are looking for in the next executive director, which they believe will make screening and vetting candidates more efficient in the coming months.
I appreciate all of the support you have given me over the past six months as I continue to steer what I believe is the best education-based program on the planet. I am continually humbled by your collaborative spirit, tireless dedication to improvement, accountability, and change, and your tireless efforts to making Breakthrough the best that it can be. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail or pick-up the phone for a chat!
Warmest regards –
Eric
Interim Executive Director
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