Outgoing Ward 5 Coun. Maureen Cassidy has been named interim CEO at Pillar Nonprofit Network after the two people who previously filled the roles announced their resignations over the past three weeks.
The first resignation was announced on Sept. 22 with a statement posted to Pillar’s website that indicated interim co-CEO and co-president Rachel Berdan would be leaving the organization on Oct. 17.
On Thursday, it was revealed that interim co-CEO and co-president Tanja Kueneman, who also served as the vice-president of finance and strategy, would be leaving the organization on Nov. 4.
That same day, Pillar announced that Cassidy had been appointed interim CEO, effective Oct. 17.
The news comes amid ongoing backlash against Pillar’s board of directors following the firing of former president and CEO Mojdeh Cox, whose tenure was abruptly cut short in mid-July, just over a year after she was introduced as the organization’s new lead in April 2021.
Cox’s firing was soon followed by a message from the organization’s staff on Pillar’s website, indicating that the team had “been experiencing many emotions” since the “unexpected exit of our past President and CEO.”
“We’ll continue to build on the momentum of our recent work on policy advocacy, decent work, social justice, and radical accountability, with deep gratitude for Mojdeh’s contributions. Her impact endures in our work and we’ll carry these lessons forward,” the message from staff added.
Pillar’s board of directors has yet to provide a reason for Cox’s firing.
Speaking to Global News about her role as the temporary head of Pillar Nonprofit Network, Cassidy says, “I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge and I think Pillar is going through a challenging time right now.”
“When the position was offered to me, I definitely took my time thinking about it and thought about what I could add to the role because there’s no point in joining Pillar Nonprofit if I don’t have anything to add,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy brings with her the experience of two terms as London’s Ward 5 councillor, as well as various positions on a number of council committees and governance groups, including the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s Board of Health and the London Police Services Board.
As for her upcoming role, Cassidy says her “number one job will be to listen to everyone involved and hear the concerns of everybody.”
“Staff themselves have been through a lot, the board has been through a lot … there’s been a lot of division and divisiveness,” Cassidy added.
“People believe in this organization, people are invested in this organization, rightfully so, they’re emotionally attached to this organization, so I feel like there’s been a lot of hurt, and it’s really important that my first order of business is just to listen.
“For the people that have been following along, the people that have been hurting as all of this has taken place, I just ask for patience.”
In the meantime, Pillar has also announced that it is commencing the search for a “permanent leader for the organization, a process which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.”
The network is also establishing a community leadership advisory panel, which is tasked with “providing input and recommendations regarding ways that Pillar can address community concerns and build trust with our stakeholders, including members, co-tenants, and donors; and (working) with the Board to develop a process for the recruitment and selection of new Board members, which will be on-boarded between November 2022 and April 2023.”
The panel will consist of five to seven members and Pillar has named N’Amerind Friendship Centre executive director Al Day as its first member.
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