My Next Chapter

Dear Friends and Colleagues—

At last Thursday’s Meyer Foundation board meeting, I informed the board that I’ve decided to step down from my role as vice president for programs and communications effective July 14.

While no time feels like exactly the right time to leave, my most recent goals of helping Meyer successfully transition to a new CEO and then set a new strategic direction are complete, and we have a strong team and plan in place to continue that work.

My daughter, who was five years old when I joined Meyer in 2003, will begin her junior year of college this fall. Earlier this year I started the process of selling my home in Germantown, which led me to reassess my priorities and consider the future. I’ve decided to relocate to my hometown of Staunton, Virginia, to be more present with my family and to build a consulting practice that I hope will keep me frequently in the DC region and engaged with its nonprofit and philanthropic community.

I want to thank both our former CEO, Julie Rogers, and our current CEO, Nicky Goren, for their leadership, support, and partnership, as well as my many wonderful Meyer colleagues, present and past, who are among the smartest and most committed people I’ve known.

Working at the Meyer Foundation has been a personal learning journey. If I’d never worked at Meyer, I’m not sure I would have fully grasped the systemic and structural racism at the root of inequities in our society, and the importance of tackling them head-on rather than simply mitigating the consequences. I will leave the Foundation with a changed world view and a commitment to equity that will impact all my future work.

I have a deep and abiding respect for the organizations we support, their staff and leaders, and the people and communities they serve. I won’t be going far, and as I start my next chapter I hope to remain in community with the many colleagues who have made the past 14 years so meaningful and rewarding.

—Rick