Dear Rebecca,
You may have seen through our recent communications that A Greener World’s Executive Director, Andrew Gunther, unexpectedly passed away Friday, February 19. While the last few weeks have been heartbreaking for the Gunther family and everyone who loved Andrew, we take comfort in a renewed commitment to A Greener World’s vision and mission with independent, sustainable farmers at the heart of our work.
Having worked for A Greener World for over a decade, I am humbled to now serve as A Greener World’s Executive Director, according to our organizational succession plan and Andrew’s wishes, and with the support of an amazing team, board, farmers, supporters and colleagues across the globe. Serving our farms and partners for the last 13+ years and directing outreach for the last 7, I know many of you well. For those of you who don’t know me yet, you can read more about my background here. I wanted to share a few core values that I hold dear:
· Listening to farmers and people who know what they’re talking about
· Being clear about what sustainability means so we can actually achieve it
· Prioritizing real change over feeling good
· Upholding transparency and inviting honest, solutions-based dialogue
· Commitment to the highest quality work and service
The last few weeks (and year) have underscored what a resilient, adaptable team we have—it’s a deep bench with a lot of talent, just like our farms. We celebrate Andrew’s legacy at A Greener World by driving forward, faster and farther. We are operating as we always have, with the same mission and commitment to excellence. We see new opportunities every day and are overflowing with good news to share about our farms and programs. And we know the world needs us. Despite the challenges of the last year, there is a bright future for sustainable farming. |