Leading into 2020

Exciting news from Hack the Hood to our community of support!  

We’re writing to share the news that Hack the Hood is in the process of searching for our newest Executive Director to lead us into the next decade.

Recently, we transitioned from our co-founder and founding Executive Director & CEO, Susan Mernit, through an interim CEO period, led by Michel Gelobter. Now, we’ve moved forward with the important next step of identifying a new full-time leader for the organization. 

Because our community of support and partnerships have been so important to Hack the Hood, we wanted to share this news publicly along with our plan to ensure a thoughtful and smooth transition to the next phase of this organization’s growth and development. 

The Board’s gratitude goes to Michel and to our staff, partners, supporters, and volunteers over the past year and a half. It is due to their commitment and leadership that Hack the Hood is as strong as ever. We are excited to build on our momentum going into the new year.

To find our next leader, the Board has formed a Search Committee which includes Board Chair, Kamal Shah and board members Gabriel Castillo and Tanya Caragol as well as co-founder of Hack the Hood, Zakiya Harris.

To ensure our search process is rigorous and thorough, we have engaged Blueridge Advisors. The team at Blueridge understands our values, our mission, and the current environment and life stage of this young, mission-driven organization. 

After incorporating feedback from staff, consultants, founders, and community stakeholders, Blueridge has developed an opportunity brief for the role and is committed to identifying and securing a diverse and talented pool of qualified leaders for us to choose from. Equally importantly, their role will continue as an advisor to the Board after the hire of the new ED. 

The position description is posted here. To apply or to nominate an individual, please provide a cover letter and resume expressing your interest to search@blueridgeadvisorsllc.com with “Hack the Hood – Executive Director” in the subject line. All applications and referrals will be held in the strictest confidence.

Thank you for all you have done to support Hack the Hood, and for your partnership during this exciting time of opportunities and growth. On behalf of the whole Hack the Hood team, we are all very grateful for your past, present, and future continued support. 

Happy New Year! 

In Community,
​
Kamal Shah, Patty Mitchell, Luther Jackson
​Executive Committee - Hack the Hood Board of Directors