Dear END Fund friends, partners, and supporters,
I’m reaching out to share some personal news. After 12 incredible years as CEO of the END Fund (and almost 30 years as a road warrior for global health!), I will be transitioning later this year to become CEO of a new start-up working at the intersection of mindfulness, leadership development, and social change, based in my home state of North Carolina. It has truly been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve the movement to end neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and to help build the END Fund into the high-impact organization it has become.
My last day as CEO will be June 15th, at which time our incredible COO Diana Benton Schechter will step in as Interim CEO, with the support of our strong and experienced Senior Leadership Team, while the END Fund Board completes the global search process. I will also be staying on through the end of 2024 as a consultant and advisor during this transition phase.
The END Fund has had many exciting chapters of growth over the years since we were founded, and they have only been possible because of the strength of our relationships and the unwavering commitment across our entire community to human dignity and to the communities most affected by NTDs. Over the past decade, hundreds of millions of people are no longer at risk of NTDs. NTDs have truly become less neglected because of all of your attention, advocacy, support and partnership.
I am full of gratitude and admiration for all of you and excited for the next chapter of the END Fund and the NTD elimination story that we co-create.
All the best,
Ellen
See the press release here.