Dear DSC Community,  

I wanted to share with you our progress in our search for a new Executive Director. As you know, Kristen Berry's last day is Friday, March 30th and we do not yet have a new ED in place.  

The Executive Director Search Committee is working hard to find the right candidate, as such this takes time, several rounds of interviews, and patience in coordinating everyone's schedules. We are very pleased to have three solid candidates that we would like to schedule for a final interview. Some of the candidates are out of town, so coordinating the in person meetings will take some time. I assure you that we are moving as quickly as we can and we hope to have an offer to our new Executive Director in the next few weeks.  

To that end, the Board of Directors has approved an interim strategy that will begin on Saturday, March 31st. As Kristen has been dedicated to our mission and vision, he will be staying on as Interim Executive Director, beginning March 31st in a part-time capacity.  

While you will not see him as much as you have during his tenure as Executive Director, he will be working on some very important tasks, including staff management/human resources, fund raising, financial stewardship/budget, communication with stakeholders, liaison to the board of directors, and regulatory risk and compliance management.  

For those Executive Director tasks that Kristen will not be handling, the following individuals will be assuming the specific roles:

• Fleet & Facilities questions and issues should be raised with Stuart Proctor, Waterfront Manager. Any issues that Stuart cannot handle directly he will refer to Trevor Smith, Chair Fleet & Facilities Committee. 
• Membership questions and issues should be referred to Josh Ewen, who will make sure to find the correct person to answer your questions. For general membership inquiries, please contact the office.
• Volunteerism questions and issues should be raised with Siiri Fowler, Chair, Volunteerism Council. She will make sure to find the correct person to answer your questions.
• Marketing & Communications issues should be forwarded to Kathleen Lester, until the Marketing & Communications Chair position is filled.
• Any questions about events, should be referred to the appropriate committee (e.g. Social Events should be directed to the Social Chair of the Membership Council, volunteer evens should be directed to the Volunteerism Council, etc. ). 

Thank you to the board and the working committees for truly coming together as a team to keep the DSC moving forward. So many people are stepping up and pitching in, in the true spirit of what we are all about - a community who is passionate about our mission and the individuals and community that we serve.  I know many of you are spending much of your personal time, and words cannot express our gratitude for your service.  

To send Kristen and Grady off in style, the Board of Directors and the Afterguard is hosting a farewell party on Thursday, March 29th from 6pm to 9pm in the back room at Little Havannah's. Please RSVP on our Facebook page, there will be appetizers, a limited number of drink tickets, memories and laughs. I hope to see you there!