Each New Year brings the chance for renewal, opportunity, and positive change. It is in this spirit I am sharing exciting news for Wellstone Action and myself. Starting this month, my role at Wellstone Action will be changing from Executive Director to Founding Director.
It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since we lost our friends Paul and Sheila. Out of that tragedy, together, we created Wellstone Action, which has grown from an idea born in grief into the preeminent training center for the progressive movement. Helping build this organization has been the most fulfilling work I have ever done, and it has been a rare privilege to work with a fantastic staff and with smart, passionate, and committed organizers and leaders like you. But just as Wellstone Action began with the motto "Carry it Forward", now is the right time for a new leader to carry the organization forward.
I am thrilled to announce that Ben Goldfarb, Wellstone Action's Director of Training Programs, is our new Executive Director! In Ben Goldfarb, Wellstone Action gets a leader who is energetic, passionate, experienced, visionary, and creative. Over the last three and a half years, Ben has designed, managed, and grown many of our programs. Before coming to Wellstone Action, he founded and ran other successful nonprofits and is a dynamo political manager who has ran and won major statewide election campaigns. Most of all, Ben brings a deep commitment to creating social change and advancing a progressive agenda the "Wellstone Way."
I will continue working at Wellstone Action in a new role, doing what I like most--more of the actual training, teaching, and high quality leadership development that Wellstone Action delivers on a grand scale.
You will be hearing much more from Ben (and me, as I will continue to help with online communication) in the coming days, weeks, and months as we roll out our ambitious plans to increase our training and candidate development work in response to the 2010 elections.
From all of us at Wellstone Action, may the New Year be filled with rebuilding and renewal as we reignite a progressive movement in the spirit of Paul and Sheila and work together to advance our progressive values.
COMMENTS
Bipolar mental illness
First, I want committment from employers that future individuals can go to their employer with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder like they would if they had breast cancer. I recently lost my job. I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bipolar in late October 2011. It was our busy time of the sales year at my company. With the holidays I figured I would "deal" with the situation in the New Year. I was crying at home and work trying to get into the the next year. I made a costly error at work. It cost me job on December 28, 2010. I am a single mom with two kids without an income. I feel if I would have been able to take this diagnosis with more seriousness, tell my employer and been able to take time off I would still have my job. We were told no time off from October to January. I want to fight for people like me to tell employers their "mental" diagnosis. I was working with one of the best companies in Indianapolis. I had been one of the top sales perfomers for a medical device for almost two years. I want to be able to help and finish the law that Mr. Wellstone so wanted passed for individuals with mental illness. I am an average person who wants to make that difference.
New Year, New Leadership and change
WOW ! I can't believe that it's been 7 years since you opened your doors and things got rolling !
But as time goes by, people change and so do organizations.
I wish Jeff Blodgett all the best as you move into your new role. I know you will be as effective
behind the podium as you were behind the desk. And a HUGE "thank you" for all that you have
done to build this organization from the difficult starting days with a small crew to the powerful
agent for progressive change that it is today.
And I wish Ben much success in his new role as Exec. Director. I have known Ben since 2005
during his days at Progressive Minnesota. I concur with Jeff's comments - Ben is experienced,
a dynamo and really effective at creating social change. I think Ben is the perfect fit to lead this
organization into the next decade and beyond.
One of the most important things that a leader can do is to mentor and advance the next
generation of leaders. A true leader is measured by the effectiveness of the work after they are
gone. The Wellstones did that admirably. And so has Jeff.
I am confident that Wellstone Action! is in good hands for the future as we all continue this needed
work of building the progressive movement.
Carry it forward !
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