Dear Friends,
It was so nice to see many of you at our Beacon of Hope Breakfast last month. For those I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with directly, I wanted to reach out personally to share my plans and extend my deepest gratitude.
At the end of 2024, I’ll be retiring from my role as CEO of Second Story. Even though Second Story will always be a part of me, I believe it’s the right time to welcome in new leadership. I’m confident that I’m leaving Second Story in great hands with Jade Leedham who will take on the role of CEO in January 2025. Many of you already know Jade. She’s been with Second Story for more than 15 years. In fact, she’s been working with me side-by-side for the past year as Executive Vice President, a role specifically created to ensure a seamless transition. Jade will be supported by a leadership staff who has dedicated 70 years and counting to Second Story and a board of directors who has contributed 137 years of service.
I also want to take this opportunity to personally thank all of you. When I started with Second Story more than 30 years ago, I had no idea so many of you shared my passion to help local youth and families thrive and I’m thankful for your support along the way. Together, we’ve been able to meet this community’s changing needs. Whenever we saw a gap, we worked hard to fill it. I have had the pleasure of helping this organization grow from one that opened its doors to teens in crisis to an organization that also assists youth experiencing homelessness, young mothers fleeing dangerous situations, families who lack food and other essential resources, and students seeking after-school support or assistance reaching higher-education goals. As a result, our community is even stronger. Thank you for standing with me.
As we enter the holiday season and our year draws to a close, I hope you’ll continue to support Second Story as you have done throughout my time with this wonderful organization. Thank you again and I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Judith Dittman
Second Story CEO
