Dear Friends

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"Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

Dear Friends,

It is in this spirit that I reach out to let you know of my decision to resign from my role as Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence, where I've been truly blessed to have worked for the better part of the past seven years. As most of you know, I recently took on a new role for myself as mother to my son Owen; and as I am not one to do things half-heartedly, I've decided to pursue this new and exciting chapter in my life by devoting my time and undivided attention toward raising him, much the same way I've approached my work in Lawrence.

During my tenure at Groundwork, I've enjoyed the honor of meeting and working side by side with talented and dedicated colleagues, as well as numerous partners and friends like you. I've been fortunate to experience the satisfaction of helping transform decay into beauty, by seeing through to completion several projects with tangible results -- especially the ones that stand today as beautiful parks and gardens. I've also born witness to the power of people connecting with their neighbors, rolling up their sleeves, and getting things done together. Indeed, while it has been the hardest I've ever worked, my professional endeavors at Groundwork Lawrence have been the most satisfying of my career. Without a doubt, it is and has most certainly been work worth doing.

Because the undertaking of community development is never done, I take heart in the fact that the mission and goals of Groundwork Lawrence live on, the struggle to raise and leverage funds for our projects and programs will continue, the doors will remain open, and the work worth doing will keep emerging and evolving. To continue steering the ship, particularly as our economy struggles to right itself, it is with great pleasure and pride that I introduce to you Groundwork Lawrence's new Executive Director, a talented and thoughtful woman who has also been my esteemed colleague and friend for four years, Heather McMann. Heather is someone many of you already know and have worked with, but in case you didn't know, she has long been the glue holding together the operations at Groundwork Lawrence! I trust you will enjoy working with her and the rest of our team as much as I have over the years, and I encourage you to get to know her better if you haven't already.

I hope to see you at Glow on December 10 (more details below). Please stay in touch, either via LinkedIn, or by reaching out through the Groundwork family. My love for Lawrence and this powerhouse of an organization remains strong, as I hope yours does, too.

With my sincerest gratitude,
Kate (Gormly) O'Brien