In my year-end letter to our supporters, I mentioned that our most significant investment in 2015 was in the Farm’s future. We could not have accomplished what we set out to do with our strategic planning process without the able leadership of our executive director Chrissa Carlson. She brought us her commitment to broadening opportunities for more Baltimore students to learn through the Farm’s unique programs, and set Friends of Great Kids Farm on a strong path to support the proliferation and success of schoolyard gardens and learning journeys. She has helped us strengthen our volunteer program, build our social media presence, and deepen our partnership with Baltimore City Schools.
Now Chrissa is poised to start a new chapter in her pursuit of bringing healthy food to Maryland students. This month she will leave her position with Friends of Great Kids Farm to begin a job with the University of Maryland Extension. We are excited to see where Chrissa takes this new role and will miss her thoughtful leadership at the Farm. She will be initiating the Food Supplement Nutrition Education program's Smarter Lunchroom initiatives, working with school districts across the state to implement Smarter Lunchroom strategies, as well as efforts to encourage students to select farm-to-school veggies. Chrissa’s new job aligns well with Friends’ mission and there are bound to be numerous ways we will remain connected.
Transitions can be challenging, so our new year begins with our able board resolved to choose strong new leadership for Friends and ensure the transition is a smooth one. We are posting a job description for a new executive director, and in the meantime our board will assist me in making sure the work we set out to do last year continues without interruption. We wish Chrissa the very best in her new job and look forward to finding the next talented person to fill some very big shoes.