Article Source: CORA
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse
A Goodbye Message from Melissa
Dear CORA Family, As all of you are an important part of the work CORA does in our community, I want to let you know that I have resigned from my position as CORA’s Executive Director. Before I leave, I want to say how much your support has meant and to say a proper goodbye.
Since I began as the Executive Director of the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention nearly 15 years ago, the agency has grown significantly. At that point, with 18 staff and a $1.5M budget, we finalized a merger of two struggling domestic violence agencies and created CORA. We strengthened our partnerships and services, ensuring they were client-centered and reflected best practices. We launched in the fall of 2003 and slowly grew to be the go-to agency for domestic violence in San Mateo County.
In 2012, with support from the state, we purchased a second safe house and, just one year later, with savings from a generous bequest, purchased our own community office. With your help, last year we increased staffing by 30%, thereby enhancing our impact on the community. We have grown our clinical program to include child witnesses, added services for teens, LGBTQ survivors and community advocacy, and bolstered our operations and infrastructure. We also became a collaborating partner in many local legal, housing and law enforcement initiatives such that CORA is a recognized leader at the regional and state level. And our dedicated and skilled volunteer board provided excellent stewardship along the way.
Today, with over $8M in assets, a $5.5M budget, over 50 staff, and the support of generous people like you, I am confident CORA will continue to thrive. I feel honored to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the organization through so much growth. I am grateful to people like yourself who have helped bring hope to the thousands of survivors of intimate partner abuse who turn to CORA each year.
/s/ Melissa Lukin
Link to Melissa's Letter
A Statement from the Board of Directors.
Hello CORA Friends, Partners and Supporters,
Many of you have read the letter from Executive Director Melissa Lukin announcing her resignation. We are deeply grateful for Melissa's leadership during the past 15 years. As her letter recounted, the agency has grown to become one of the leading domestic violence agencies in California. We are in excellent financial shape, have a strong team of dedicated staff, and offer respected, client-centered programs. CORA also benefits tremendously from vital community partnerships with stakeholders like you. The CORA Board and Staff want to assure you there will be absolutely no interruption in CORA's services to our community.
Mary Vradelis will be assuming the role of Interim Executive Director on February 5th. Mary is an experienced nonprofit executive who specializes in providing precisely this kind of interim leadership to social service agencies in the Bay Area. The Board is in regular communication with CORA staff and we are firmly committed to providing them the resources and support they need. We believe that this moment is an important opportunity for CORA's next stage of growth. We are in the final stages of selecting an executive search firm to hire our next Executive Director. We recently developed a long term strategic plan that will inform this search process. As a Board, we are receiving regular guidance from Consulting Within Reach - a leading nonprofit consulting firm in the Bay Area. We all feel a great deal of confidence in our current path and excitement for our future. CORA’s successes made under Melissa's tenure were only possible because of close partnerships with people like you. Our future successes will depend on your ongoing support. We are confident in our Interim Director, our Staff and the Board’s unwavering dedication. With deep appreciation, The CORA Board of Directors Rosemary Mayer Hintz, Board Chair Chris Lowell, Board Treasurer Ally Nuschy, Secretary Rachel Kim, Board Development Carelle Karimimanesh, Board Development Gabriel Brown Jennifer Kong Nick Jaeger Bill Demas Judith Duval Kevin Imboden
Link to the Board's Statement
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Robert Riechel
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Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives
Source Credit: CORA
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