| Letter from the VOLS Board of Directors |
| Update: Click here (PDF) to review and please share the position announcement for VOLS’ next executive director. Dear VOLS Community, I am writing to share the bittersweet news that our Executive Director Marcia Levy will be leaving VOLS to take on a new position as Associate Professor and Director of Legal Residencies at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. VOLS has thrived under Marcia’s leadership and has continued to do so even in these difficult times. We are proud of our accomplishments together and wish her the best in her new academic role. The VOLS Board of Directors and staff have worked closely over the summer to prepare for this transition. The Board has appointed a search committee including board and staff representatives; we are making plans for interim leadership; and we have retained Sandler Search to help recruit VOLS’ permanent executive director as our city confronts the next phases of the COVID-19 crisis and recovery to come. Inquiries and suggestions can be directed to vols@sandlersearch.org or please visit www.sandlersearch.org. Moving forward, VOLS will maintain our active response to the threefold crises facing New Yorkers – public health, the economy, and racial injustice – all converging at once. “New York, Together” has emerged as a motivating theme for our work, reflecting the resilience, unity, and collaborative spirit that New Yorkers demonstrate at a moment like this. Since the pandemic began, VOLS has launched new initiatives including the VOLS Unemployed Workers Project, Frontline and Healthcare Workers Initiative, and the Small Business Legal Relief Alliance alongside participating law firms, companies, and nonprofit partners. We have re-tooled all legal programs to provide free remote services for seniors, veterans, immigrant youth, mothers in prison or jail, small business owners, children and families, and workers in underserved communities. Our impact is made possible by a talented team of over 20 lawyers and nonprofit professionals who work closely with volunteers and local leaders from law firms, corporate law departments, and community-based organizations across all five boroughs. It is because of this trusted network of partners that VOLS has ably and nimbly responded to major crises facing New York City across 35 years of our history, including the HIV-AIDS epidemic, 9/11, the Great Recession, Hurricane Sandy, and today the COVID-19 pandemic. We deeply appreciate your support and partnership throughout Marcia’s tenure at VOLS. For our 35th anniversary year, Marcia brought the VOLS community together to address issues including the intersection of pro bono and diversity, equity and inclusion, women’s leadership in pro bono, and the legal service community’s response to COVID-19. Today, we enter the search process for a new executive director with VOLS programs, infrastructure, and partnerships standing on steady ground during an uncertain time for our city. Please join us on Wednesday, October 14, at 10am for a special VOLS On the Ground virtual briefing to learn more about our emerging “New York, Together” focus, with a chance to send off Marcia on a high note as well. RSVP at www.volsprobono.org/events/ontheground-oct2020. With best regards, Karen Artz Ash Board Chair Volunteers of Legal Service |