Dear supporter,

My name is Russ Jacobs and I bring you greetings from the board of directors of ASJ-US. I started my term as president of the board in August 2022 and have served on the board for twenty years.

I share with you that Jill Stoltzfus will end her tenure as ASJ-US Executive Director later this year. She and Kyle will become parents this spring and that life event has prompted her to consider her professional path. She plans to continue to work after the birth and to bring her skills to a new opportunity—as yet unknown.

I received this news with mixed emotions. It brings sadness because I have known Jill as an ASJ employee for all fourteen of her years with the organization. Once she leaves I will not have the opportunity to engage with her in the same way. She has met the challenges of the moment for ASJ-US—not just once, but repeatedly—and we will miss her leadership. But at the same time, I receive this news with joy because Jill will bring her gifts elsewhere. As I have talked about this news with ASJ co-founders Kurt Ver Beek and JoAnn Van Engen, they have shared that they know ASJ-US would not have gotten where we are today without Jill, but they also know that Jill has set us up for success even after she leaves. We celebrate her tenure at ASJ-US and support her decision to take on a new challenge. At the time of her departure we will take more time to honor her service to the work of ASJ-US.

With grace and integrity, Jill has given the board ample notice to plan for her transition. For personal and professional reasons, she wants to return to work following her maternity leave and will help to transition her successor. Our hope is that this individual will be identified and hired by the end of the summer, allowing for several months of overlap of these leaders in the fall. Jill's last day of employment with ASJ-US will depend on the timing for her next job. We expect that she will transition away before December 2023.

A committee on the ASJ-US board has already started identifying the leadership needs for ASJ-US. We feel gratitude that Jill and the board had already engaged in long-term planning and started succession planning as part of their regular board activities. The leadership transition happens at a time of strength for the organization, with a committed board and staff, established systems and processes, and a deep relationship with ASJ-Honduras.

As we move through this season of transition, I ask you to join me in prayer. Prayer for blessings on Jill and Kyle as they welcome a new member to their family. Prayer for Jill to move successfully into her next job. Prayer for ASJ-US staff as they navigate change. Prayer for the ASJ-US board to have wisdom and discernment as they identify the next leader for ASJ-US. And prayer for the work of justice to which we have committed ourselves in partnership with ASJ-Honduras and ASJ-Canada.