We’ve heard loud and clear that we need to recenter on our organizational values at Public Allies. In that spirit, the Board of Directors of Public Allies is pleased to announce that Jenise Terrell has been asked and agreed to rejoin Public Allies as Interim CEO. Jenise has deep knowledge of and appreciation for our AmeriCorps apprenticeship program. Her commitment to Public Allies values and her enthusiasm for bringing alumni together for greater local and national impact, makes her the right leader for Public Allies now.
Ms. Terrell is a proud alum who started her journey in service as an Ally in 1997. She has supervised Allies and was a founding member of the Public Allies Milwaukee advisory board. Since joining the national office, she has served in a variety of roles. For most of her tenure Jenise has driven AmeriCorps strategy and managed relationships at the federal and state level. She was awarded the 2021 Excellence in AmeriCorps Lifetime of Service Award for her outstanding service and lifelong commitment to civic engagement. For decades she has lived the Public Allies values of continuous learning, collaboration, and leading by empowering others.
We are committed to working collaboratively to re-earn trust and rebuild Public Allies. We have made some critical errors that have jeopardized the organization. Together the board, leadership team, and key stakeholders across Public Allies are working to repair, rebuild, and heal the relationships with staff, Allies, alumni, operating partners, donors, and other stakeholders. We love this organization as do so many of our more than 8,000 alumni, our staff and partners, and we appreciate you putting your trust in us as we do the important work ahead.
There is a steep road ahead. The Board will work closely with Jenise and her team to strengthen ties with our partners and alumni, provide an exceptional experience for our Allies, and be a point of pride for the AmeriCorps program. We want to thank Jenise for her deep love, passion, and commitment to Public Allies and its values and for agreeing to take on this great responsibility.
Thank you for engaging in meaningful conversations with us. You have made clear what is most important about how Public Allies shows up in the world, how we collaborate authentically with all of you, and how we live our values to live up to our full potential. We value your perspectives and will strive to measure up to your high expectations of us. Thank you for believing in us.
With deep appreciation,
Public Allies Board of Directors