Jenn Gibbons Resigns as Executive Director
In May 2020, Jenn Gibbons announced her resignation as the executive director of Recovery on Water. Jenn co-founded the organization in 2007 and has been a critical part of developing its programming. Following is an open letter she wrote to the community along with a video address.
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to share with you that I am resigning from my role at ROW. I recently accepted the executive director position at the George Pocock Rowing Foundation in Seattle, Washington, which means this August I will be packing up my life and moving to the Pacific Northwest.
While this is a fantastic opportunity that promises to be an exciting challenge for me, it is difficult to leave you and the wonderful work we do together. I love my job and in truth had no plans to leave Chicago or ROW; this unique opportunity presented itself unexpectedly, and I couldn’t let it pass by. My last day will be July 25, which is when I’ll be joining our friends in Michigan for the 2020 Ride4ROW.
I am confident that our organization is in good hands to lead us through the upcoming recruitment process and well into the future. We are fortunate to have strong leadership within our board and staff, and together they will ensure an effective transition. Plus, I will work closely with them in the coming months to do my part in smoothly passing the baton to ROW’s next leader.
Change is exciting, and yet so bittersweet, too. Organizations need to evolve; they need turnover and new leaders to help generate new energy.
As I depart, I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude. My 13 years with ROW have not only contributed to the most important chapter of my professional life, they have also given me many opportunities to learn and grow personally. I am proud of our work together and what our community has accomplished in empowering women diagnosed with breast cancer to become active in their recovery.
In my departure, I have one last important request for you: Please join me in continuing to support the ROW mission, and support the next iteration of our important work by supporting the organization’s new leader. Fitness and social engagement are both critical to breast cancer recovery, and we know that the recovery journey can be lifelong. This means ROW’s work never ceases to be important, and the organization will always need you and me—our time, our interest and our financial gifts.
We could also use your help finding our next great leader, so I invite you to share this job posting with your own networks.
ROW was a dream that grew into something far more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, and I’m grateful to all who have contributed to it. This organization means the world to me and that will never change, no matter where I live or where I work.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me and as always, GO ROW.
-Jenn