Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I write to you today with bittersweet news: I have begun to plan my departure from Resolve Philly. My last day will be April 11, 2025.

In a nutshell, it is time. Cassie Haynes and I co-founded Resolve six years ago, but by next spring, I will have been in this work for almost a decade. It was March 2016 when (then) The Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jane Von Bergan had a wild idea to bring together reporters from competing Philly media outlets to do solutions journalism on the topic of prisoner reentry. I had recently returned to my hometown of Philadelphia after ten years of living abroad and reporting from across the Global South. Jane and I somehow managed to get people excited about this collaborative idea, and the Reentry Project was born. I never dreamed it would evolve into what Resolve is today. 

Resolve’s work has led to significant shifts in how journalism is practiced in Philly and throughout the world. Our work has changed policy and shifted dominant and harmful narratives. Perhaps most importantly, Resolve’s work has made a tangible difference in the lives of thousands of area residents by creating greater access to news and information rooted in solutions, centering community voices, and serving information needs identified by community members themselves.

Personally, Resolve provided an opportunity for me to combine personal passions, strengthen existing skill sets, and grow many more. I fell in love with journalism in part because I am an introvert who is also deeply curious about the world. Being a reporter gave me an excuse to talk to new people and learn new things — while at the same time telling stories that amplified important voices that we do not always truly hear. I am a community organizer at heart, and this is evident not only in the formation of what is now the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative but also in how I manage and lead. Organizers build collective power, knowing that a group’s total is always greater than the sum of its parts. I had no management or workplace leadership experience prior to co-founding Resolve. That learning curve was (and is!) steep, but I discovered that I love supporting people and teams. At the core of everything I do is a drive to push our society to be more just, less racist, and rooted in an understanding that we can accomplish more together than as individuals. I am so proud to have co-founded an organization whose work and organizational culture are rooted in these principles — from the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative to neighborhood-level reporting, from our news and information text line to our workplace vibe. 

This journey has been thrilling and deeply fulfilling. And also, being a founder, co-executive director, and then solo executive director has taken a significant amount of energy and drive. I’ve sustained that for eight years — and will continue to until April — but it’s time for me to have other professional experiences and to give myself space from the demands of the founder-leader role.

It’s also the right time for Resolve. While I am here, Resolve will remain in its founder era. With the organization having matured from start-up to adolescent, the team and the work will benefit greatly from fresh perspectives and leadership. We are wrapping up our next three-year strategic plan, which will provide a clear road map for the work ahead. More on those specifics soon, but rest assured that the heart of Resolve will not change. Our commitment to solutions and service journalism that is for and with Philadelphia’s long-misrepresented communities will always be our top priority. My departure presents an excellent opportunity to bring in a new executive director who will creatively and passionately guide that work forward. 

I would not be stepping away if I were not fully confident in Resolve’s ability to thrive after my departure. From day one, Cassie and I understood the perils of “founder’s syndrome.” We always planned to move on in a reasonable amount of time, and we set out to build an organization that was structurally sound enough to outlast our tenure. Resolve is at this point today. We have a deeply committed and passionate staff led by Chief Operating Officer Becka Gorelick and Chief Programs Officer Sara Shahriari; solid organizational structures with a wonderful workplace culture that ensures agility and resilience; and a very well-prepared Board of Directors. I can’t wait to see who has the honor to lead this organization next. The long runway until my departure date is to give the organization sufficient time to find its next executive director and to ensure that we, the staff and Board, execute this transition thoughtfully and intentionally.

As for me, I do not yet know what lies ahead. As this year ends and 2025 begins, I will begin to figure this out. I am open to conversations about new roles and opportunities in journalism — and also beyond. 

I have to end this letter by expressing gratitude. The full list of people who deserve thanks for where Resolve sits today is far too long to be included here. However, please know that Resolve could never have had the chance to exist were it not for the partner newsrooms who formed the Reentry project, the Solutions Journalism Network, the Knight Foundation, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, David Boardman, Jane Von Bergen, Jim MacMillan, and Molly de Aguiar. And, for everything Resolve has come to be since Reentry Project days, my endless gratitude and love to Cassie Haynes for wanting to work alongside me and for helping me blossom professionally, to Becka Gorelick for being my ride-or-die partner in executive leadership for the past two years, and to Resolve’s Board of Directors for being a wonderful and committed group who show up for the organization.

Finally, an ocean of appreciation to the staff of Resolve; you are extraordinary human beings whom I feel deeply honored and humbled to have worked alongside over the past 6 years. I learn from you every single day. I am so grateful for your grace, patience, humor, and trust in me as your leader. 

Thank you for reading this letter. I’ve got seven more months of being fully present as Resolve’s Executive Director, and I am here with as much dedication as ever. I look forward to being in touch about the work this year and into the next.

Warmly,
Jean