Looking Back on a Decade at PRB With Thanks and Gratitude

To all PRB friends, partners, and supporters,  I am writing with bittersweet news: After much reflection, I have decided to retire as President and CEO of Population Reference Bureau. In the coming months, PRB’s Board of Trustees will appoint a new President and CEO to guide the organization into what I’m confident will be a bright new chapter.

Leading PRB has been one of my greatest honors, and I am proud of all we’ve accomplished over the last decade. Together with government officials, civil society actors, and advocates, we achieved budget increases for family planning services in Busia, Narok, and Samburu counties in Kenya, and commitments from Kano and Kaduna state leaders in Nigeria to end child marriage. We successfully transitioned leadership of our policy communication fellows program to the Kenya-based African Institute for Development Policy and convened thousands of data users across the United States to discuss insights from the American Community Survey and how to improve survey data. Media reports about the generational inequality of young women detailed in our “Losing More Ground” Population Bulletin have reached more than three million readers and listeners.

This sampling of accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without our work to train journalists to use data to tell important stories, amplify the work of researchers, and advance the critical fight against misinformation.

The last decade has not been without challenges. There are the ones everyone knows about: a global pandemic, climate change, rising inequality, increasing mental health issues—crises that have changed the way we all live and work. There are also the ones you might not know about unless you work in the nonprofit space: funding changes, power-shifting, a stronger call for local ownership and representation in data. These vital challenges represent incredible progress and have required tough business decisions and changes in the way we operate.

Then there are the challenges you likely don’t know about: In 2015 I was diagnosed with cancer, the same kind that took my father. Nine years later—after two surgeries, chemotherapy, and years of follow-up—I will now spend more time with my family, enjoying and appreciating the time I have with them. The changes for me personally and the nonprofit space professionally coalesce into this year being the right time for PRB to receive new leadership from someone with the energy, drive, and vision to meet the challenges and opportunities yet to come.

My last official day at PRB will be May 1, and I have much to do before then. At the top of my list is expressing to you my deep appreciation for your support, interest, and continued engagement in PRB and our work. Thank you.