A Letter from Melanie and Conner

February 18, 2021

Dear SAL community,

As you learned last week, Ruth will be leaving SAL at the end of April to become the next Executive Director of the National Book Foundation. On behalf of the Board, we thank Ruth for her work over the past 8 years. SAL is strong and stable, with a talented leadership team and staff, an enthusiastic community of supporters like you, and an engaged Board.

We are delighted to share with you that the Board has named Rebecca Hoogs, SAL’s Associate Director, as our Interim Executive Director to lead the organization as we complete a thoughtful search for our next leader. Rebecca will assume her role on May 1st. We are grateful for her extraordinary work over 17 years at SAL, and her willingness to step into this leadership role.

The Board is currently working to select a search firm to partner with us, and we will be providing regular updates to you all as we move forward. We do want to be clear that equity and inclusion will be a fundamental part of our search for a new leader. Over the past five years, SAL’s board and staff have been on a learning journey about how SAL can be part of the critical work to build a more just, inclusive and vibrant world. We look forward to continuing the journey and leading with equity.

We promise to keep you updated on our search; in the meantime, if you have questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to either one of us at sal@lectures.org. And though Ruth’s departure is bittersweet, we are all excited for our next chapter and to continue to work together to cultivate transformative experiences through story and language with readers and writers of all ages.

Warmly,

Melanie Curtice
Board President

Lauri Conner
Vice President