To Everything, There is a Season!

For many months now, I have been asked if I am counting down to retirement. I must admit I was taken by surprise when I was asked this question back in September. But now that we are in April, the question feels a thousand times more relevant. My response is, “No, I am counting up! Because I want to end on the highest note possible!”

As my time as the CEO of GraceWorks nears its end, my heart is filled with joy over all that God saw fit to accomplish during my tenure. Our service area has expanded! Our donor base has grown! Volunteer numbers are at an all-time high! The thrift store has won multiple awards for multiple years. The staff is more than twice the size it was when I started, and to top it all off, we have an amazing and engaged board! I am proud of the reputation of GraceWorks in Williamson County and beyond. People want to give me credit, but I say all glory goes to God. I was just an available vessel.

Those who know me have heard me say I am an Ecclesiastes girl, meaning that I hold to what God says in this book of the Bible, “there is a season for everything .”I had an amazing almost 8-year season here at GraceWorks. But as good as it is, this season, true to the rhythm and course of all seasons, officially comes to an end on June 30th.  

But as we know, when one season ends, another begins! Alicia Bell will start her season as CEO of GraceWorks on July 1st.  

I am excited that Alicia was chosen as my successor! And because of the careful planning of our Board, I have the opportunity to train and expose her to both the broad and the nuanced tasks of being the CEO of GraceWorks. The intentionality and the timing of the Board’s hiring decision show our maturity as an organization. The Board’s choice of Alicia as our next CEO was born out of a well-thought-out process that also speaks to their hope for an even more exciting next season for us.

Alicia’s almost seven years as Director of Development makes her a proven candidate. We have seen and celebrated her successes. Within that time, she has learned GraceWorks inside and out and has demonstrated her passion for our mission, for those we serve, and for those who make our service possible. Her commitment, coupled with her previous nonprofit experience and with a Masters’s degree in Nonprofit Management, makes her a well-qualified successor.

It gives me immense pleasure to turn GraceWorks over to her capable hands. Next month, please look for her article in place of mine as she shares her heart and thoughts with you before taking the post.   

I admit that change is hard! 

But like our Board, I believe that through Alicia, great things are ahead for GraceWorks. Please join me in praying blessings over her in this next season!