Affirmations Seeks New CEO as Leslie Thompson Resigns

(Crystal A. Proxmire)

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The Board of Directors of Affirmations announced Thursday morning that they were reviewing options to hire an Interim CEO.  The decision was made after the resignation of current CEO, Leslie Thompson.


"We want to be pro-active in searching for and identifying the next stage of leadership at Affirmations," said Mary Rose MacMillan, President of the Affirmations Board of Directors.  "While also difficult, leadership transition can be a window of opportunity as the organization looks to its future - we want to ensure the organization stays strong through this transition."  The Board is also in the preliminary stages of putting together a search committee that will select the next permanent CEO.


Current CEO Leslie Thompson has served the organization for nearly eleven years - a gathering celebrating her work, is planned for Sunday, October 17 at Affirmations.  Although she resigned in mid-August and expected to serve through the end of 2010, health concerns have required she take an indefinite medical leave from work.  Current Chief Administrative Officer Kathleen LaTosch has been appointed Acting CEO by Affirmations’ Board of Directors until an Interim CEO is identified.

Thompson’s farewell letter is available on the Affirmations website, at www.goaffirmations.org.  In her words…

 

I wanted to let you know that I’ve made the very difficult decision to resign as the Affirmations CEO effective no later than January 15, 2011.   Serving as the CEO of Affirmations has been the highlight of my career.  I have had the rewarding opportunity of working with dedicated board members and staff who truly have the best interest of the LGBT community in southeast Michigan first and foremost in their minds and hearts.  
As you may know, I have always credited Affirmations with saving my life when I came out 18 years ago and I still believe we save lives every day.  Affirmations is a vital and integral part of the LGBT community and will be for years to come.  It is with this deep appreciation for Affirmations that I have made the decision to resign my position.  Please know that I will work diligently to ensure a smooth transition and guarantee that our record of growth and success continues under the next administration.  I am confident that your continued support through this transition will prepare the Center for its next phase.

I am deeply proud of our accomplishments since I took over as CEO nearly eleven years ago.  We built an amazing award winning building and grew our participation to numbers we couldn’t even have imagined when I started in 1999.  Affirmations has won awards for programs and fundraisers and continues to be leading the LGBT community center movement in social networking technology and with cutting edge programs.  I especially want to thank you as a donor for making all of this success possible.

I trust that Affirmations can count on your continued support to achieve our financial goals and objectives along with fulfilling the vision held by our incredibly creative staff and volunteers.  In the next five months the Board of Directors will be focused on identifying new CEO who can take Affirmations into to the next chapter of growth and development.

I am looking forward to following the new path my partner and I have chosen, although it is not without sadness that I leave behind this amazing organization. I am fortunate to be able to reflect on the Center’s accomplishments during my tenure and feel a genuine sense of pride and joy.

I hope that, like me, you will stay committed to Affirmations and promote its work long into the future.


In community,

Leslie Ann Thompson

 

Affirmations is Metro Detroit's community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) people and their allies.  Open since 1989 and located in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, Affirmations provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance, and where they can learn, grow, socialize, and have fun.  For more information, visit their website at www.GoAffirmations.org.