Lead(h)er, the mentorship program fueling career and community engagement for Quad Cities area women, will seek a very important match – finding a new executive director.
Megan Brown-Saldana recently announced that after over three and a half years in the role, she has been empowered to start on a new journey. “Megan has been instrumental in the growth and success of Lead(h)er over the past several years,” Anika Martin, board president, said in a Wednesday news release from the group.
“She has left a handprint on our organization and our collective impact on the community,” Martin said.
Brown-Saldana’s last day with Lead(h)er is August 24th and she will start at Humility Homes and Services on Sept. 1.
She began her journey as executive director of Lead(h)er in January 2020 and has overseen the matching of over 400 women during that time. She hosted Lead(h)er’s first college intern, grew the organization’s income by 150%, and forged countless partnerships to gain resources to help women achieve personal and professional success, the organization said.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of Lead(h)er and the remarkable journey we have shared over the past three years and seven months,” she said Wednesday. “Mentorship is a tool that can change the world and I am so excited to be able to pass the torch to another individual that is ready to take our recent successes forward.”
The Lead(h)er “Strike a Match” mentoring program is an 18-month, volunteer-based program that equips QC working women with tools to achieve their personal and professional goals.
In 2022, Lead(h)er made 118 matches between mentor and mentee, part of 1,110 women served since the group’s inception. It presents honors to the top mentor and mentee of the year at annual “Girl on Fire” awards.
Brown-Saldana has attributed her success to having strong mentors. “I am where I am today because of many mentors in my life,” she says on the Lead(h)er website. “Most of the time, I didn’t like it and I didn’t know they were pushing me to be a better version of myself. Looking back, mentorship has made all of the difference.”
As Lead(h)er looks to the next chapter of the nonprofit’s future, a selection committee will work in partnership with the Lead(h)er Board to find the best possible match for the new executive director, the release said. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
To see the group’s 2022-23 annual report, click HERE.
