January 2025 - Updates and Transitions

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that the new year is off to a great start.

I’m writing with the bittersweet news that I have made the difficult decision to move on from Root for personal and professional reasons; my last day will be January 31. It has been an incredible privilege to lead this organization over the past three years and I’m so proud of what our trainees and alumni, staff and board, and vast network of partners and supporters have accomplished together in that time.

I am pleased to share that Root’s board has appointed Faith Emerson as Interim Executive Director. Faith has been with Root in a number of capacities since its founding; she has deep knowledge of and passion for Root’s mission and programs. I have had the pleasure of working with Faith in her role as director of development and communications during my tenure with Root and know that she is the right person to lead the organization smoothly through this transition. 

With your partnership, Root has now graduated 215 trainees through our program, provided transitional employment for more than 50 alumni, produced more than 125,000 meals for the community, and generated almost $1.5 million in revenue through our social enterprise catering businesses. As I move on, I do so knowing that Root’s all-star staff and committed board will continue to grow and deepen our programs to best meet the needs of the North Shore community.

As food insecurity and the need for workforce development continue to grow in our region, Root’s work is now more important than ever. I look forward to cheering and supporting this wonderful organization from the sidelines, and I hope you, too, will continue your generous partnership and support of the team, our trainees, and our alumni. Thank you for all you do to help Root feed opportunity and community.

Sincerely,