IMPACT Silver Spring Executive Director Jayne Park will be stepping down from her role effective December 31, according to an email received by the Source.
Ms. Park is leaving the organization to “move forward towards new horizons and opportunities,” according to the announcement.
The full announcement is below:
“I am writing to share the news that I will be stepping down as IMPACT’s Executive Director effective December 31, 2021. After much prayer and reflection, I have decided the time has come for me to move forward towards new horizons and opportunities. I leave knowing that the organization stands on a strong and solid foundation both financially and programmatically, and that IMPACT will remain in the very capable hands of its talented staff and dedicated board of directors. Together, they will work to ensure a smooth continuation of IMPACT’s operations and important work in the community.
“Many of you over these last seven years have shared with me how your life has been changed by IMPACT. It has been an absolute honor and privilege to have contributed towards IMPACT’s efforts to activate change at the individual, community, and systems levels. Through this work, I too have been transformed, and leave with a deeper and more expanded understanding of myself, others, and community.
“IMPACT’s Managing Director Michael Rubin will be stepping in as Interim Executive Director effective January 1, 2022. In this capacity, Michael will support the board/staff in their continued exploration of moving IMPACT towards a non-hierarchical, democratic organization. I am excited to see where this journey takes the organization, and grateful for a board of directors that shares in a vision of creating an organizational and leadership structure that reflects IMPACT’s network values, and honors the leadership and gifts of its diverse staff team.
“Wherever my journey takes me next, I will carry with me IMPACT’s values and human-centered approach. I look forward to staying connected to many of you, as we continue the work of building a more just and equitable world where everyone has the opportunity to live with joy, peace and dignity.”
According to the organization’s website, “IMPACT Silver Spring was founded in 1999 during the revitalization of downtown Silver spring as it transitioned from a mostly white suburb into an extremely diverse urban area. IMPACT was founded by a group of activist residents led by Frankie Blackburn who wanted to ensure that racially, culturally, and socio-economically diverse interests and voices were included in the redevelopment process.
“After years of deep community work, our mission has evolved to focus more explicitly on revealing and dismantling racial inequity and lack of economic opportunity — root causes of community disintegration. During this time, IMPACT has explored different approaches to grassroots community-building including leadership trainings, place-based organizing, door-knocking, and network-building. We know that the complex social problems we’re tackling require experimentation, innovation, and emergence (the ability to learn what works in practice, be agile, and change as needed).
“Today, IMPACT’s focus is on building a racially and economically equitable Montgomery County. We believe this requires transformation that starts with the individual and interpersonal, and cycles up to neighborhood and systems-level transformation.”