Janet Starwood Resigns As Executive Director

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After devoting nine years to the Earth Force organization, I am taking an opportunity to explore new fields of endeavor. This is a good time for a leadership change at DVEF: there is a wonderful team of very talented, skilled and experienced people on staff who are passionate about the Earth Force mission; the DVEF board is a vital resource for the Earth Force organization; we have established extensive networks of community support for Earth Force programs in the Philadelphia region; we have a solid base of programs and the funding in place that will provide ample time for my successor to get up to speed; and our very experienced, dedicated national leadership team is committed to a positive process of transition. In the coming weeks, I will do everything I can to contribute to the success of this process and the ongoing sustainability of Earth Force.

Looking forward, a leadership change provides a pivotal moment that will enable Earth Force to build momentum and strengthen its capacity to advance our mission.

As we reflect back over the last nine years at DVEF, we have many accomplishments to celebrate together – here are just a few:

- In our first year we had 500 youth participants; now more than 3,000 young people are engaged in Earth Force programs in the Delaware Valley region;
- We have more than seventy-five wonderful teachers facilitating Earth Force projects at over thirty-five schools in southeastern Pennsylvania;
The 2006-07 national program evaluation found that Delaware Valley Earth Force students showed positive, statistically significant gains on all four measures of civic and environmental attitudes and skills used in the evaluation;
- The community-based initiatives we committed to implement are well underway and creating exciting new Earth Force opportunities for young people;
- Over the last year, Earth Force programs across Pennsylvania from LEA to DVEF were recognized by the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence - Earth Force was also a finalist in the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards;
- We have grown from a single person office to a staff of six - we now draw on the leadership capabilities of all of our staff members;
Our board of directors has had tremendous success in fundraising through the Hike for the Future and annual campaigns; our board members provide the insights, connections, and inspiration that will support our growth in the future;
- We have a solid base of secured funding in place;
- We have established partnerships and collaborations with over 50 organizations, agencies and institutes of higher learning in southeastern Pennsylvania;
- In nine years, Earth Force has become a name that is recognized in the Philadelphia region for high quality programs that empower young people to take action to improve the environment and their communities.

I deeply appreciate the many contributions our board and staff members, teachers, students, funders, donors, and partners in the community have made to the success of Delaware Valley Earth Force.

Best wishes to all for continued success,

Janet

Janet W. Starwood
Executive Director and Founder, Delaware Valley Earth Force