[nobe-l] FW: The Road Ahead for Perkins - an important announcement

Tue Jul 30 13:03:49 UTC 2013

From: Steven M. Rothstein [mailto:Get-Involved at Perkins.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2013 7:46 AM
To: Hyde, David W. (ESC)
Subject: The Road Ahead for Perkins - an important announcement

The nearly 200-year history of Perkins turns the page
View this email as a webpage<http://support.perkins.org/site/R?i=rp53fhIFek3-rrae1VOaJQ>.

[cid:image001.jpg at 01CE8CFB.52CE3A10]<http://support.perkins.org/site/R?i=vJ1YsKAuTshokgkynSesIQ>

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A message from Steven M. Rothstein
and Frederic M. Clifford
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Dear David,

This is the most challenging letter I have written in my almost 11 years at Perkins.

After considerable thought, I have decided to resign as the 9th leader of this unparalleled institution. I have enjoyed working with you, every member of the Board of Trustees, staff, friends and others. It is an honor to work alongside so many talented, deeply committed, and hard-working people in common support of Perkins' mission. You are individually and collectively remarkable. This includes the students, families, staff, trustees, members of the corporation, committee members, volunteers, alumni, library patrons, clients, partners in this country and around the world, contractors, donors and so many more. It is humbling to see the impact that working together we have had. In the past decade, because of the leadership of the Board, the amazing talents of the staff, the support from donors, friends and so many others, Perkins has been able to do so much:

 *   Expand services from 40,000 people to over 700,000 people.
 *   Develop our campus with the Pappas Horticulture Center, Grousbeck Center for Students & Technology, Cataruzolo Independent Student Apartments, the new Lower School, a revitalized pond and so much more.
 *   Successfully complete the $130 million "Touch Our World" capital campaign that has already made a dramatic impact in so many ways.
 *   Enhance educational services on campus and in the community.
 *   Expand technology training, products and services.
 *   Broaden our work from primarily New England to throughout the United States.
 *   Strengthen and grow services internationally from roughly 35 to 67 countries around the globe.
 *   Play a meaningful role in numerous key local, state, national and international advocacy issues and raise awareness of Perkins.
 *   Exponentially multiply our role in teacher and parent training, both in person and online.
 *   Introduce new adaptive technology products that can benefit the people we serve.
 *   Support the recruitment and retention of many exemplary employees and volunteer leaders.

My wife and I cherish the relationships we built and I am confident the growth and development will continue even as I move to the next phase of my professional career. I will always think of myself as a member of the extended Perkins family. Perkins always will have a special place in my heart.

Perkins is clearly bigger than any one of us. I am confident that the Board will select a strong leader to allow Perkins to continue the growth and development of quality services for our students and for everyone we serve. I will eagerly look forward to hearing updates about Perkins' newest successes and accomplishments.

Based on discussions with Fred Clifford, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, I will seek to continue to serve as President until June 2014. However, I will absolutely commit through December 31, 2013. Depending on the specific transition process for Perkins and me, my final date will be during that window. I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.

I am confident that with the leadership of the Board of Trustees, staff and all of the other stakeholders, Perkins has truly just begun its impact in our community, across the United States and around the globe.

Thank you again for letting me join with all of you and play a small role on Perkins' epic journey. This is truly a memorable experience that I will always treasure.

If you have any questions or if I can provide further information please contact me at President at perkins.org<mailto:President at perkins.org>.
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Sincerely,

[cid:image005.jpg at 01CE8CFB.52CE3A10]

Steven M. Rothstein
President

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Dear members of the Perkins community,

I am reaching out to let you know that Steven Rothstein has decided to step down as president of Perkins after more than a decade of service to the school. We are fortunate that Steven expects to complete this academic year through June 2014 but no earlier than December 31, 2013.

For more than 180 years, Perkins has been a leader in providing the highest level of education and services to students and others in the visually impaired community locally, nationally, and around the world. We have been fortunate to have strong leadership working together with the finest faculty and staff over these decades and we have every confidence that Perkins' reputation and its recent growth will attract candidates of the highest caliber with the commitment and passion to fulfill our mission as we search for the next president.

A search committee is being formed that will be chaired by me and currently includes Corinne Grousbeck, William Lowell, Phillip Ladd, Gregory Pappas, and Liz Curtis. Others will be added to represent the community we serve as we proceed. We will be assisted by a search firm and we will begin the process by interviewing the top search firms in the country that specialize in high quality leadership for educational institutions. As we move forward with this process, we will keep you apprised of our progress.

Over the 11 years that Steven served as president, he and the Perkins staff and faculty contributed significantly to our growth and raised the school's profile to a new height. The resulting transformation of Perkins allows the school to provide tremendous benefits to visually impaired people across the world. Through Steven's hard work, determination, and strategic approach, Perkins expanded the number of people we serve from 40,000 to 700,000 and broadened our reach beyond New England to 67 countries. Steven was a significant force in the very successful $130 million "Touch Our World" capital campaign that is already making a dramatic impact on the school. He has overseen the new development of the Watertown campus with the construction of the Pappas Horticultural Center, the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology and the new Lower School. Perkins has enhanced its educational services on campus and in the community while also introducing new adaptive technology projects. Steve's passion is why Perkins is an even stronger and more respected voice today with a more prominent role in local, state, national, and international advocacy issues.

Leaders may change but the mission of Perkins transcends the inevitable transitions. We have a strong culture, terrific faculty and committed staff who together work to foster meaningful lives full of possibilities for children and adults around the world who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired including those with other disabilities.

Please contact the President's Office if you have any questions about the transition at (617) 972-7200. We also welcome any suggestions for candidates and your thoughts on the role of president of Perkins at presidentsearch at perkins.org<mailto:presidentsearch at perkins.org>.
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Sincerely,

[cid:image005.jpg at 01CE8CFB.52CE3A10]

Frederic M. Clifford
Chairman
Board of Trustees

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