Dear Friends,

Serving as the President & CEO of GLIDE for almost six years has been the honor of a lifetime. I have had the great fortune of befriending Janice Mirikitani and Rev. Cecil Williams, and of participating in the incredible force of change that is GLIDE. I have met people across the GLIDE community who I will always know and love. I am so proud to have built upon Jan and Cecil’s legacy, always guided by unconditional love and radical inclusion. It is therefore with great emotion to share with you that I will be leaving my position in early 2023.

Over the last six years, GLIDE has consistently been called to meet new challenges and to step up to increasing needs. We developed an ambitious five-year strategic plan – GLIDE Forward – that allows us to reach more people and to deepen our impact as we fight systemic injustices, create pathways out of crisis and poverty, and empower individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and thrive. We launched a new chapter of GLIDE that is independent and free of the United Methodist Church, clearing the path for the progress we’ve made in building a truly inclusive organization. We built the Center for Social Justice to lead transformational change of policies, systems and people. And we launched the Center for Applied Learning and Impact to bring new rigor and effectiveness to our programs. Throughout the COVID pandemic, our incredible staff remained resilient and adaptive, delivering life-saving services across the City.

With the help of this generous community and GLIDE’s talented team, I am proud to have built upon GLIDE’s enduring legacy as a beacon of hope to position the organization for success and impact. While GLIDE remains the radically loving and inclusive organization it has always been, it is also stepping up in new ways to break cycles of poverty, impact health outcomes, increase food and housing security, and proactively change systems to promote justice and equity for all.

As we begin the search for a new CEO, I am confident that GLIDE will be in capable hands. In the near term, former GLIDE Board Member, Malcolm Walter, will serve as Interim CEO and our Board of Directors is also stepping up in new ways to set GLIDE up for success. As always, Marvin K. White, our Minster of Celebration, will continue to lead and inspire our spiritual community.

Further information may be found in this press release.

Thank you to so many of you who have supported me, taught me, and served with me over these six years. I will remain always and forever a GLIDE supporter.

With love and in solidarity,

Karen