To all our committed friends and supporters:

By now, you may have learned that Gregg Small, Washington Toxics Coalition’s Executive Director since 2001, is leaving our organization to take on the executive leadership role at Climate Solutions, a nonprofit organization addressing issues of global warming.  Gregg’s last day with us is January 11, 2008.

I know you share both my excitement for Gregg as he steps into this new opportunity and my sadness to see him go.  Gregg has brought tremendous leadership to WTC these last seven years, helping us to achieve remarkable victories and significantly expand and diversify the organizations that we work with here in Washington and across the nation.

Since Gregg announced his departure to the Board in mid-November, we have worked quickly and diligently to insure both a smooth transition and a thorough, thoughtful search for the leader who can build on Gregg’s legacy and grow WTC into an even more potent advocate for environmental and public health.

As of January 14, Policy Director Laurie Valeriano will be taking the mantle as Acting Executive Director.  Laurie has a strong track-record in leading WTC to groundbreaking policy victories, most recently leading the campaign to pass the first bill in the nation to phase out all forms of the toxic flame retardants PBDEs that are rapidly building up in breast milk, our bodies, and in Puget Sound.  Laurie’s history with the organization and in-depth knowledge of both the local and national legislative arenas make her an ideal leader for this time of transition.

In the meantime, the WTC Board is launching a national search for a new Executive Director.  A joint committee of the Board and staff, co-chaired by Board Vice-president Sharon Chen and WTC staff member Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, has already begun developing the vision and hiring criteria for our next Executive Director, and will announce our search on a national scale in early January.  The committee has set an aggressive timeline for itself, and plans to begin reviewing applications and conducting first-round interviews in early February.

Organizational change at this level is always a time of both sadness and great opportunity.  With the continued support of our committed friends and allies and the leadership of our first-rate staff and Board of Directors, I am confident that WTC will continue to thrive and grow just as it has throughout its 26-year history.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Dold
Board President