Dear Friends and Supporters,
I hope this message finds you well. I joined Swords to Plowshares just two years after its inception in 1976 and have been here ever since. I’ve dedicated my life to veteran advocacy, and as I reach the end of my tenure as the Executive Director, I’m filled with immense gratitude for everyone who has stood with me as we’ve fought to remove veterans’ barriers to care and worked to increase access to health care and social services, housing, skills development and job opportunities. We wouldn’t be able to do all of this work without such a dedicated team of staff, volunteers, board members and supporters.
I plan to stay involved with Swords in an emeritus role that will allow me to focus on working directly with our clients and informing our advocacy. I’m proud to hand over leadership to our COO Tramecia Garner who has been with Swords for 14 years. She has been an instrumental leader and advocate in her role as COO over the past four years, and previously as Housing Director. Our Advisory Board, Board of Directors, and I have complete confidence in her ability to lead Swords forward, and to uphold our values and reputation.
We have much to look forward to, including our 50th anniversary on November 7th. Thank you for your ongoing support as we embark on our next 50 years.
In the meantime, there is a piece in today’s San Francisco Chronicle that explores some of our greatest milestones over the last four decades. It’s by Kevin Fagan who I greatly appreciate and admire for his work covering veterans and homelessness.
Best,
Michael Blecker