Dear Gentle Readers of RVC,
Serving the RVC community for the past seven years as a fellow and then full-time staff member has been a pleasure and honor! RVC is resilient and unique because of you; all of you make it what it is. So I didn’t want to leave RVC without taking a moment to pause, reflect, and thank you all.
When anyone asks me about RVC, I always emphasize that the people, the relationships, and the commitment to transformation truly set this organization apart. Before I joined RVC, I desperately searched for a values-aligned job, not just in words but also in action. I am happy to say that RVC has been that place. The emphasis on learning, self-management, accountability, action, and building trustworthy relationships kept me here for seven years.
My commitment to this community led me to submit a two-year transition. What? Who does that? Me!
I wanted to embody the values of the fellowship program, which meant exploring what it means to leave an organization intentionally—how to leave with a lot of grace, love, and intention—and turn that transition into a moment of investment in the leadership and growth of my team and myself.
But why two years?
The first reason is my own value of integrity. We started a new cohort at the time, and our fellowship cohorts run on 2+ year cycles. When I start a cohort, I follow through to the end. This matters to me because of the relationships I have held with partners, and consistency matters to me when building relationships with a new cohort.
The second reason is that we onboarded a highly experienced and thoughtful team member, Christian Moore. I wanted to ensure he had time to learn about the fellowship program, adjust to a new organization and team, and experience this job with a fuller team.
Finally, I wanted to build and invest in his leadership while I transitioned out. Lastly, I wanted to learn all I could in my new role as a co-lead of the Fellowship Team with my coworker, Yecelica Valdivia, and what it means to support a fuller team.
Over the last two years, I mapped out a transition plan, collaborated with my team about shadowing and experimenting with co-leading the team and deepening our shared leadership, hired the logistical extraordinaire and attentive facilitator Karina Arroyo, and documented as much as I could about the past without dictating the future. Having a long runway helped me think about what it was I wanted to build for the next chapter and how I wanted to support newer RVC staff before I left.
I cannot leave without telling you I am deeply grateful for how you all have shared yourselves with me and contributed to the success, magic, laughter, and transformation of so many BIPOC leaders and BIPOC-led organizations in Seattle. I appreciate the opportunity to be in a place like RVC, where I learned, experimented, led, collaborated, coached, and made sweet memories with fabulous people. Thank you for sharing and shaping a chapter of my life. I’m excited to see y’all in the next chapter of my life, however that looks. I am excited to take a few months off to enjoy Seattle’s summer, and then I’ll figure out what’s next.
And if I can embody one last lesson, it is not to shy away from making an ask! RVC will always have a place in my heart and if you’ve been impacted by this amazing organization or by me, please consider making a contribution to RVC, which will help ensure our growth and success continue.
With appreciation,
Flo
caption: Flo Sum, dressed in a floral patterned cheongsam, animated as a gif image as they laugh, hold a mic up, and then gesture out to the side. The image features a tropical floral illustration behind her head.
