LifeRing’s 11th Annual Meeting and Congress will take place during the weekend of May 11th, 12th and 13th, 2012, in San Francisco. On this occasion, I will step away from my position as 2nd interim Executive Director and join the very limited but rugged ranks of LifeRing’s “Ex-Executive Directors”.
Occupying this role during the past year has been a tremendous education for me. I have gained a perspective on LifeRing as a whole that no other job would have afforded me. One of the important things I learned was how much work and heart my predecessors, Marty and Craig, contributed to keep the LifeRing boat afloat. Since I took over, Craig has continued to do as much work, if not more, as he did during his year as E.D. His help has been invaluable to me. Though I prefer not to wear the E.D. hat, I do intend to stay very involved with LifeRing, helping the new Executive Director in whatever way I can and continuing to work on projects that were begun this year. Craig has graciously offered to stay involved as well.
With my resignation, then, the LifeRing Board of Directors is seeking applicants for our Executive Director. Whoever applies should be prepared to accept the position for at least one year, with the possibility of more than one year. According to our current bylaws, applicants will need to have been continuously clean and sober for at least one year. A history of participation in LifeRing is also necessary, and applicants should have strong “people skills” with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a friendly and respectful way.
Our current bylaws state that LifeRing’s Executive Director will be a volunteer. This will not change unless and until other expenses can be eliminated, or until donations and book sales are substantially increased. Thus, applicants for this position should be willing to work without financial remuneration.
Some of the responsibilities of LifeRing’s Executive Director will include:
– Oversee the maintenance of official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations.
– Provide leadership in developing programs, working on financial plans with the Board of Directors and Director of Fundraising, and carrying out plans and policies authorized by the board.
– Promote active and broad participation by volunteers in all areas of the organization’s work. This is one of LifeRing’s important planning initiatives.
– Assure that the organization has a long-range strategy which achieves its mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress. LifeRing has begun a strategic planning process. The new E.D. will be working on implementing initiatives drawn from this process.
Interested applicants should contact LifeRing’s service center:
1440 Broadway Suite 312
Oakland CA 94612-2023
Toll-Free: 1-800-811-4142
Local: 510-763-0779
Fax: (510) 763-1513
24-hr. Cell, message or text: 510-207-6097
SAMHSA — the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — is a division of the federal government’s Health and Human Services department and the leading agency for the government’s approach to substance abuse treatment. It recently revamped the definition it uses for “recovery” in a way that makes it closely parallel the LifeRing approach.
David R., a LifeRing meeting Convenor in Fresno, California, wrote a Haiku verse that seems worth sharing. Like all Haikus, it attempts to convey an image and an idea in a very brief format. Here’s what he wrote:
