Not long after the Supreme Court decision, Brad was elevated to the Alameda County Superior Court bench and it became my job to chart the future of the organization. I understood that I needed to recruit top talent to expand key programs going forward. I turned to Patti Cary, our indefatigable office manager, to take on these critical searches. Always a keen judge of character, Patti found Teddy Basham-Witherington, now our Deputy Director, responsible for development and communications, and Amy Daniewicz, our Grant Program Director. More than eight years later, both continue every day to lead their teams with passion and empathy, improving the organization and ensuring that we remain true to our mission. (Taking a page out of Patti’s book, Amy and Teddy have in turn hired excellent team members.) I still thank Patti for identifying and recruiting these “ringers” without whom we could not have built today’s Impact Fund.
The most recent turning point, of course, was the day that Lindsay agreed to submit her name to the Board of Directors for appointment as our new Executive Director. At that moment, I knew that I would not need to worry about the future of the organization nor that its past would be forgotten.
