ASYV New York Leadership Update

 

Dear Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village Family,

I’m writing to share some bittersweet news. On August 6, I will be transitioning out of my role as ASYV’s Chief Advancement and Strategy Officer. I’ve been privileged to serve in this role for eight years.

ASYV has been more than a job to me. It gets in your heart. It isn’t often that a person gets the chance to live out her values the way I’ve been able to at ASYV. And it certainly is rare to get to work with the calibre of Board, colleagues, and donor community that these eight years have afforded me.

Whether I’ve sat with you at dinner in New York, Boston, Connecticut, or Kigali; in a backyard in Houston, Los Angeles, or Miami Beach; or in the Village amphitheatre overlooking Lake Mugesera, you have been a part of making ASYV my home. Thank you for that. 

We have experienced and accomplished so much together. The Village looks different than it did when I started in 2017. There are new buildings to help ensure our sustainability and new programs that give our students access to skills they’ll need when they graduate.

Shiri Sandler at ASYV's 2024 Village Time Gala

 

When you walk into the Village today, you see mature trees, you’re greeted by alumni who have returned as staff, and the bellow of newborn calves rings out; the Village is growing up. ASYV’s future looks different than it did when I started, too. We have data that proves our impact on our graduates, and we’ll soon share a strategic plan that lays out a path for ASYV to enact systems change that reaches far beyond the Village gates.

Katie Messick (center) with Producers Direct Board members

My next position will be as the Executive Director of the Five Together Foundation, a long-time ASYV funder, so I’m not going far. I’ll continue to be at Village Time and may even rejoin an ASYV committee.

I’d like to introduce my successor, Katie Messick. Katie has spent more than 20 years in non-profit fundraising and strategy across the world. Her work is grounded in a deep belief in youth-led change and in building values-aligned partnerships that deliver long-term impact. She comes to us from Producers Direct, a farmer-led nonprofit focused on strengthening youth leadership, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience in East Africa and Latin America.

Katie joined us on July 16, and can be reached at katie@asyv.org. I know that Katie brings what the Village needs for its next steps, and that she’s going to accomplish things I would have never dreamed of. I can’t wait to see. 

Thank you, again, and see you soon. 

Warmly,

Shiri Sandler