Friends, I have some bittersweet news to share

November 3, 2023
Category: News
Tags: NCCJ, News,

Friends, I have some bittersweet news to share: I will be transitioning out of my role here at NCCJ in mid-January 2024 for an incredible professional opportunity as the next president & CEO for the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. 

Deciding to leave NCCJ has been a difficult decision. I’ve been a part of the organization in some fashion since Denny Kelly took me to lunch to ask me to join the board in 2009. The next year, I served as Anytown co-director for my first time with Betsy Harrington, and by 2014, I was on the staff. It’s hard to imagine NCCJ not being such an integral part of my life – especially my summers. 

While I will miss our supporters, Anytowners, staff, and board members dearly, this is also an exciting transition for both of us. I am looking forward to the challenges of a new job in a statewide organization and continuing our work to make the nonprofit sector better and more equitable across North Carolina.

For NCCJ, this transition is an opportunity to identify an executive director with the key experience and skills to build on our successes of the past eight years and launch NCCJ into its next stage of growth.

I do believe that I’ve built one of the best teams in our community and that our staff is equipped to collectively lead during this transition. We also are fortunate to have a strong board led by Jennifer Martineau, President and Founder of Leap & Inspire Global, who will shepherd NCCJ through the transition with reflection and care.

We will be in touch in the coming weeks with more details about the process for recruiting and selecting NCCJ’s next executive director. First, we need to have an incredible Citation Award Dinner next week honoring Mae Douglas and Dr. Patrick Harman! I look forward to seeing and hugging you there, but most of all to celebrating the tremendous impact of NCCJ and these two leaders on our community.

Thank you all for your support, professionally and personally. It has meant the world to me over the past eight years, and I will carry it with me on my new adventures with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

With love and in partnership,

Ivan