The last blog in our series is one that hits closer to home for me. Twelve years ago, I felt a calling in my spirit to start REST. I knew it would require sacrifice, bring joy, and take over my life. I was scared but said yes. I could not have imagined that we would grow to build out a continuum of care serving over 600 survivors a year. And now that REST has adopted a new mission to expand pathways to freedom, safety, and hope in order to end sex trafficking, with specific opportunities to multiply impact across the United States, I believe it is the right time for a new leader to step in as Executive Director.
While it will be a significant change for me to step out of the Executive Director role, I am confident this is a strategic move for our mission. I will be joining REST’s Board of Directors to initiate and help drive national impact projects and partnerships forward. This new seat will be the best way to leverage my strengths for our next phase of growth. There are three reasons why I think this is the right move.
First, at my core I am a builder and an entrepreneur, bringing new ideas to life in order to create meaningful impact. I’m wired to steer toward strategy, fast growth, and impact, which has served us well so far, though I recognize at times it has put a strain on our team and our systems to grow so quickly. This next stage for REST, as it would be for any organization at this stage of its life cycle, is to have steady upward growth through incremental change, maintaining and upgrading, and refining. REST deserves a leader who is wired for this type of growth, ideally someone who has experience growing an organization of our size to the next level with both sustainability and impact.
Second, I have prioritized reputation and credibility over awareness, but all are important. We will maintain thoughtfulness and quality in our approach, but it’s time for the mission of REST to have a leader who is eager to be the face of the organization and build stronger communications and public relations activities so that we can expand our reach and draw more people into our work. This is an essential part of the next season for REST and I know this is just not how I am wired. I’m excited for us to have an Executive Director who naturally seeks out and creates more opportunities to tell the story of REST.
Third, it’s natural for an organization to experience “founder syndrome” where the founder becomes a central knowledge source and we start to get stuck in the ways we’ve always done things. Stepping aside opens the door for new ideas, new systems, and new opportunities for courageous leadership and decision-making to flourish throughout the organization. By joining the Board I can still provide continuity of leadership and be ready to fuel those new ideas with support and strategy.
It has taken me some time to reach this decision and I am at a place where I feel great about what this will mean for REST and for me. The Board of Directors has been supportive and agrees with the benefit of this move for the organization. You can read a note from the Board to learn more about their perspective on the transition.
The Board has initiated a search committee and will be working with a firm to implement a national search for our next Executive Director, which we anticipate will take about six months. I will remain in the position until our next Executive Director is in place.
To all of REST’s partners, supporters, employees, and volunteers - you have made the work of REST possible and it has been my deepest honor to walk alongside all of you, and the survivors who have entrusted us with their care. As we prepare to expand our reach and multiply our impact, it is a perfect time for all of us to deepen our investment with REST and advance the mission. Together we will expand pathways to freedom, safety, and hope in order to end sex trafficking. Because everyone is worthy of love and deserves to live a life without exploitation.
Amanda Hightower
Founder & Executive Director