Dear ATC Friends,
The time has come for me to pass the baton off to Artavia Berry, ATC’s new Executive Director. I couldn’t go without sending you one last message.
I’m honored to have served as ATC’s leader over the past three years. YOU have provided me with that opportunity and I thank you for the trust you have placed in me. The principles that drive ATC’s work and the way we show up for others are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m a more effective leader and human being because of my time here. I’m so proud of our team and what we’ve accomplished over the past several years.
We transitioned from Rob Gitin, our founder in a way that I hope will carry his legacy forward and of which he would be proud. We took some risks, created new events, launched an evocative social marketing campaign, made strides in becoming a more data-informed organization, invested in new partnerships, and took a stand by introducing a living wage and full pay equity. Finally, we moved through the pandemic and maintained our presence on the streets, and even intensified some of our support to our community’s most vulnerable. Our organization is in good financial standing, we have a strong leadership team in place, and we’ve strengthened our foundation—all in preparation for growing ATC under our new leader.
You’ll be hearing a lot from ATC in the next few months. Whether it’s seeing our new mission and vision statements, learning about the launch of our next client outcome study, or being invited to a first-of-its-kind event in the fall, ATC is preparing to make a splash as we all return to some sense of normalcy in the coming months. I look forward to being a champion for ATC and part of its community with you as the Bay Area finally makes movement on what has felt like an intractable social challenge. It’s time!
Two last things: Please reach out to Artavia at [email protected] and introduce yourself in the next few months. She’s a remarkable person and I’m sure it would go a long way to making her feel welcomed and showing her how amazing our community of supporters is. Which leads me to the second thing: a big THANK YOU for being part of the ATC community and for all of your support of our work. I wish you all the best!
In Solidarity,
Charles
P.S. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] throughout the month of May. I’ll be taking time off from April 29th through May 10th and then serving as an advisor to Artavia until May 26th.