Eastside Pathways recently restructured their board, unifying the earlier Eastside Pathways Board and the Partner Leadership Committee. We spoke to Sue Baugh, Board Chair on the why and the way forward.
Could you share the thought behind this restructuring?
For the last several years Eastside Pathways has functioned with two independent boards, i.e. the “Backbone” Board and the Partner Leadership Committee. There was some confusion as to the responsibilities of each body particularly as it pertained to overall decision-making.
It seemed reasonable to blend the boards for clarity and efficiency purposes. Now there is no thought that the “Backbone” Board is making decisions that should have serious input from the partners. The hope is that this new structure will result in a more efficient and effective Eastside Pathways.
How will it benefit the work of the partnership?
The partners will be involved in every Eastside Pathways decision and since they are the organizations providing direct services, they are in the best position to decide on what issues Eastside Pathways should focus.
Research has shown that when institutions/organizations align, outcomes for kids improves substantially, especially at the population level. The work of the board will be to help ensure that we have the structure and processes in place to work together and to ensure we’re measuring that progress. Children are the winners when we work collaboratively.
As the Board Chair, what are your primary objectives?
- Continue to align and hone our work for progress and outcomes.
- Stabilize funding sources.
- Increase awareness – city, county, and statewide – that there is a significant segment of children on the Eastside who need assistance in order to achieve a happy, successful life in whatever way they define success. We cannot ignore/write off 10+% of our city’s young citizens.
What are some of your immediate plans? / How do you envision the next six to 12 months?
We are at a critical juncture in Eastside Pathways’s evolution so mapping our next 3-5 years through a strategic planning process is important.
We will continue to work on board development to ensure it is firmly established to move forward.
We will support Stephanie [Cherrington, Executive Director] and her team as they focus on ensuring there is a balanced structure – along with necessary funding – to support the Partnership.
See who the current directors are and connect with them directly here.