Succession Planning and Exciting News About UTEC’s Leadership

Dear Friends,

I wanted to make sure you were among the first to hear some exciting news for UTEC – and for me personally as well.

Personally, the news is that our Board recently named me to the role of UTEC Executive Chairperson.  

The idea of succession planning has been bouncing around in my head for some time now. Many years back, I remember when one of our board members raised this issue for the first time. During our meeting, he stressed the importance of us being able to answer the question: “What would happen if Gregg ever got hit by a bus?”  One of our other Board Members then quickly and confidently answered…“He gets up. Duh!”  And that was pretty much the end of our conversation. 🙂

I’m delighted to report that UTEC’s structure and plan is now well beyond my capacity to withstand a speeding bus!

Over the past year, I have shared my thoughts around this topic with our Executive Board of Directors who have been very generous with their time, insights and suggestions.  For months, I have also been in discussions about this with our staff leadership team.  As to our now expanded leadership team, it has been really fulfilling to witness its growth.  Nearing a milestone that signifies another key stage in our organizational development (our 25th anniversary), we have spent considerable time exploring a thoughtful approach to succession planning to help ensure additional decades of success and innovation for our young adults and how to best facilitate and sustain our vision moving forward.  This will soon include a new theory of change and strategic plan – processes that are clearly centered around an inclusive leadership model.  

My thinking has largely been shaped by a couple of key considerations.  First, candidly, how can I carve out some additional personal time to spend with my family – including the incredible joy of now being a grandparent!  Second, during a time of continued growth, how can I be most helpful to UTEC at this key juncture in our development? This shift seems to check both boxes. As Executive Chair, I will be specifically responsible for overseeing fundraising, policy advocacy, and other external stakeholder relations. I am really looking forward to further focusing on these areas that are critical to our sustainability, while also having a little extra time for swimming lessons with my grandkids!

As for next steps, UTEC just posted and will be conducting a search for a new CEO to lead the day-to-day operations of UTEC.  We have engaged a recruitment group, NRG Consulting, and I look forward to working with them on the search in partnership with our Board, staff, and young adults.  Once the new CEO is hired, I will then shift to my new role as the organization’s first Executive Chair.  While simultaneously supporting the CEO, I look forward to focusing on the external scope of work including, critically, launching a fundraising campaign associated with our 25th anniversary.

And that’s not all!  Although we are not planning to expand our services beyond our current communities in the Merrimack Valley, one of the particular aspects of our future growth can be found within the evolution of UTEC’s Training Center.  So, I am pleased to share the news that we recently received funding to help move our work forward on a national level — expanding both our training and policy work.  Given this, we thought now would be the perfect time to elevate the role of the Training Center and its current stellar leadership.  As such, I am excited to say that we will soon be promoting Nichelle Sadler to the role of Executive Director of the UTEC Training Center for Excellence.  Please join me in congratulating her!

I truly appreciate your friendship and all your support, and as such, I just wanted to make sure you received word of these leadership changes.  I am incredibly fortunate to have served as UTEC’s first CEO for nearly 24 years.  I look forward to supporting the next leader while continuing to strengthen the organization in my new role as Executive Chair.  Thank you again for all your partnership, and I appreciate in advance your willingness to be a resource as we continue pushing the ball forward for our young adults!

Onward,

—

Gregg Croteau, MSW
Chief Executive Officer
UTEC, Inc.
978-856-3990
[email protected]