A Message From Co-Founder & Board Chair Abhi Talwalkar

Dear Friends,

I am writing to inform you that our executive director, Tim Waters, has decided to step down from his position effective October 31, 2024. When Tim became executive director, his priority was to elevate the quality of our work culture, operations, and performance. He has more than accomplished this goal and is now ready to hand leadership over to a new executive director who is also ready to deepen Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area’s impact on the lives of the children we serve.

Tim has been a remarkable leader, and his immediate goal is to get some rest, spend more time with his family members, continue his long-time interest in mentoring youth and young adults, and maintain his community work. As our organization moves through this transition, Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area will continue to provide the long-term, one-on-one mentorship that is at the heart of our mission, ensuring all children in our program receive the support they need to succeed.

As we conduct the search for our next executive director, Susan Corlett, our development and communications director for the past five years, has agreed to serve as the interim executive director effective October 1, 2024. With 40 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Susan has extensive executive experience and a deep understanding of our work, ensuring that our services will continue without interruption during the transition.

With Susan at the helm, our top three priorities for this year are to:

• Close and execute on a permanent home for our organization;
• Continue to roll out our Advancing Academic Equity plan; and
• Hire additional Professional Mentors to serve more youth and families.

We deeply value your ongoing support and together we will continue to inspire hope and create positive change for the children and youth in our community.

Thank you for your trust and dedication to our mission.

Sincerely,

Abhi Talwalkar
Board Chair
Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area