The book of Ecclesiastes says, “To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (And if you’re like me, you are now hearing the 1960s band The Byrds singing those lyrics in “Turn! Turn! Turn!”)
I wanted to share with you a very significant change of seasons taking place at Love146.
After leading Love146 for 22 years, the season has come for me to step down as CEO. I am transitioning to Founder in Residence until a new CEO is identified and in place. I will continue in that capacity until March 1st, 2025 to help with the transition and onboarding of the new CEO. Though my season on staff at Love146 will come to an end in March, I plan on staying engaged by remaining on our Board of Directors. This transition is coming after almost a year of engaging in a thoughtful and intentional process of succession planning.
What began 22 years ago with just a handful of friends, who held a common faith, a defiant hope, and a passion to help create a safer world for children has evolved into something beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined. We have been able to reach tens of thousands of children globally and have inspired countless people who care, like yourself, to join the fight to end the trafficking and exploitation of children. It is now time for me to pass the torch to a successor who will lead the organization into the future.
A message from our Board Chair, Sarah Jakiel, who is leading this transition:
“Rob has dedicated his heart, creativity, and courage to the founding and execution of Love146’s mission to end child trafficking and exploitation. He, and his incredibly talented and committed team, have led Love146 with vision, humility, and a steadfast commitment to living our organizational values rooted in equity and resilience while working tirelessly to craft an evidence-based approach to survivor care and prevention education. Throughout, Rob’s inclusive leadership has resulted in a strong, stable, and evolving organization, able to meet the demands and opportunities that these times ask of us.
As Rob transitions to Founder in Residence and on to his own next steps, the Love146 Board of Directors is leaning into the transition with intentionality, and a relentless commitment to finding the right leader to carry our bold work forward. As one of the first steps, we’ve formed a CEO Succession Committee and hired the search firm, Edgility Consulting, who will help lead the way in identifying Love146’s successor with ample input from staff and community allies.
Over the coming months, we will continue to celebrate and honor Rob’s achievements and dedication to the work. His refusal in 2002 to accept that child exploitation was just a part of life was the origin of Love146, and it is in that spirit of defiant hope that Rob will pass the Love146 mantle to a new leader. We are confident that the organization will continue to thrive, and we couldn’t be more grateful to Rob for the perseverance and care with which he has brought us to this point. I look forward with great anticipation to what’s to come. Please stay tuned for the position announcement and help us spread the word!”
While a change of seasons signifies an ending, it also brings with it new beginnings and tremendous possibilities. Though I don’t know yet what the next season of life will hold for myself and my family, I do know that we will never stop caring, and will continue to be dedicated to serving people, while working toward a more humane and just world.
I have had the extraordinary privilege of journeying alongside some of the most amazing people I have ever known, including not only my colleagues, my Board, and people like yourself, but most of all the children and youth we serve. I feel such gratitude for what we have built together and look forward to what is still to come. I am forever grateful to be part of this heartbreaking and beautiful work we call Love146.
Stay tuned for updates over the coming months as we enter this new season, and please feel free to reach out to me or to Sarah, our Board Chair if you have any questions. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this journey with us at Love146.
With deepest gratitude,
Rob
love146 is searching for a ceo
We looking for someone strategic, innovative, operationally savvy, and culturally empathetic leader with demonstrated nonprofit experience and a passion for creating a safer world for children.
