July 12, 2021
Dear Friends of The Farmory,
It is with both understanding and regret that we announce the decision of Claire Thompson to resign her post as The Farmory’s Executive Director. After considerable thought and discussion, she has decided that imminent health circumstances within her family require greater focus and for that she needs to relinquish her responsibilities at The Farmory effective July 23.
We are grateful for Claire’s three-year tenure with our organization. Under her leadership, The Farmory has grown from one to five staff; completed and gained occupancy of our Chicago Street facility; designed and installed a state-of-the-art indoor hatchery; successfully hatched and sold two cohorts of perch; and, developed and directly offered adult education aquaculture programs and education outreach to more than 200 participants in 2021 alone. We are proud of the visionary work we accomplished together and the dedication she provided in reaching these and many other milestones.
Looking ahead, we are focused on recruiting another visionary leader who shares and puts into daily practice the values and mission of The Farmory organization. Details of the search process are being finalized and will be announced shortly by The Farmory’s Executive Committee and members of the Board. We are fortunate to have Claire working closely with us to provide a smooth transition.
As we seek to identify our new ED, we have three requests that will help keep up the incredible momentum we have built:
- Spread the word far and wide about the forthcoming ED search!
- Make a gift of any size, or—even better—pledge a monthly recurring gift so the new ED can count on your support year-round.
- Stay in touch through social media, our email list, or by dropping us a line. We want to hear from you.
Thank you for your support of our mission to grow food, people and community. ED search details will be posted on the www.farmory.org website, but if you have questions about this announcement or our plans moving forward, please reach out to your usual contact at The Farmory. And, during this time of transition, feel free to reach out to Board Founder and Co-chair, Paula Schultz, directly if you like, at thefarmory@nwgreenbay.org and 920-593-3708.
Sincerely,
Paula Schultz & Mike Bendel
Co-chairs of The Farmory Board of Directors