Dismas House CEO Transition Letter

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing to share that I will be stepping down from my role as CEO of Dismas House and will be a strategic advisor for the organization and support the transition of the new CEO. I communicated this decision to the Board earlier this year because my role in 2020 was to serve in an interim capacity. Changing leadership when the organization was expanding during the outbreak of a global health pandemic would have created too much risk so we made the CEO role official. We are through the startup phase of the expansion and positioned for growth which is an appropriate time to transition leadership.

My time at Dismas House began in 2015, as a board member, and I led the expansion committee for our 72-bed campus and served two years as the Board Chair in FY2018 and FY2019. During my four-and-a-half-year tenure, we’ve grown from 10 full-time employees to 23, and the operating budget increased from $850k to $3.6 million. More importantly, our goal to reduce recidivism to 10% was achieved with our first cohort and continues to trend downward. Together, we’ve developed a seasoned staff of professionals, created a culture of teamwork, and through collaborations and partnerships transformed lives and strengthened the community.

This year, we proudly celebrate 50 years of Dismas House by gathering the success stories of current and former residents whose lives have been impacted by the vision set by founder Father Jack Hickey. Today, our vision to set the national standard for reentry, combined with our three-year strategic plan positions Dismas House on the right path to growth. The strategic plan coupled with the CEO succession plan I’ve discussed with the Board will make for a smooth leadership transition in the coming months.

I want to thank you, our partners, collaborators, and friends for helping us achieve our mission to transform lives and impact the community. I am looking forward to the transition that will still allow me the time to pursue my many passions and spend time with my family. 

We will celebrate my leadership tenure and introduce you to the next CEO so stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Kay Kretsch

Chief Executive Officer