Today, Caitlin Rogger is taking over as GGWash’s interim executive director

In July, I announced I would step down from leading Greater Greater Washington, and work to recruit a successor. Today, we’re taking the next step on this path, with me stepping down from day to day management of GGWash and appointing our Policy Manager, Caitlin Rogger, as interim executive director, who will take on leadership of the organization during this period.

I’m confident Caitlin will be an amazing interim executive director. As our Policy Manager, she is already leading on our transportation coalition DCST and other transportation policy projects, and contributing to broader organizational management. In her time at GGWash so far, she has demonstrated great competence, versatility, and teamwork.

Our Transition Committee (made up of some board members and some staff and volunteers) will release a job description and application in the near future for the new permanent executive director.

We’ve been hard at work in the meantime, preparing GGWash to operate in a new phase of its life. That work has included having a consulting firm look at our current and future organizational structure, helping us figure out how our existing staff best fit with our organizational needs and what gaps we need to fill. With that done, we’ll be able to finalize a job description and start our search.

I will continue to handle a number of things for GGWash, including financial planning, but in a more limited role. Our other excellent staff members are well equipped to keep the publication and our policy and advocacy work running.

Why make this shift? Partly, I need to make time for personal projects, but also, we feel that it will help the organization prepare for a post-David Alpert GGWash by actually having to operate without me. That will help us identify what is in my head alone and needs to be communicated to others. It will help staff and board members identify what responsibilities we need filled by our future hire, and what we maybe don’t need.

In normal times, we would have a party to celebrate how far GGWash has come as a community in 13 years. Because of COVID-19 and the restrictions it’s brought about, we’ll have to wait, but that time’s going to come eventually. Supporting us today is one way you can ensure our community is still there to come together on the other side of all this, and I personally hope you will all be there to celebrate with us.

Through this process, we’ve been so grateful for the support of our long-term and new supporters and readers. This publication is what it is because of you, but we still need your help and support to make GGWash secure financially. As I discussed recently, we need to get our publication toward 100% self-sufficiency, so that our work can continue and our staff can spend more time delivering the content and programs you like.

Can you join the GGWash Neighborhood now, or if you’re a member, consider increasing your support with a one-time or recurring monthly gift? I would deeply appreciate your help in making sure I can step away from this amazing organization with the greatest possible confidence it can survive and thrive. Thank you!