SiX’s Next Chapter: A Future Rooted in Strength and Vision
After eight years of leadership at SiX, this is our last week as co-executive directors. While we’ve spent the last year preparing for this moment, it is different experiencing all of the emotions of stepping back and saying goodbye to each of you. Sci-fi author Octavia Butler teaches, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.” We leave these roles transformed - shaped by the staff, legislators, partners, board members, and funders we’ve been fortunate to be in relationships with over these years. And we hope you feel changed as well.
When we began our tenure at SiX, we were grounded in a fierce belief that state-level governance could be a transformational place rooted in values. A deep knowing that when everyday people are involved at all levels of the policymaking process, and there is an importance placed on building relationships across legislators, partners, and communities–not only do our public structures become more responsive to their needs, but these people also build greater power to shape the future. This radical paradigm shift is what we define as collaborative governance. The how matters more than the what, and we have been proud to orient towards this approach over the years.
We’re proud of the work we’ve led SiX, from convening senior legislative leaders and national movement leaders through the Outside Voices convening series, which organized state legislators and movement partners to offer a proactive vision for what it could look like to build a collective vision and practice a collaborative governance approach; to creating a home for values-aligned state legislators where we engage with policymakers as whole people; to building a culture of care and abundance for our staff, this work has been a labor of love and vision.
As we transition out of SiX, we are confident and optimistic about the organization’s leadership and direction. Molly Noble, our current senior vice president of operations who has been with SiX for over ten years, will be stepping in as interim executive director while we finalize our hiring process. Molly brings a deep understanding of SiX’s mission, a commitment to collaborative leadership, and years of experience navigating the complexities of state-based organizing. We have worked closely with Molly throughout our entire tenure, and she truly embodies the SiX values and integrity in her daily life and work. We couldn’t be more assured that SiX is in capable hands. The search process for permanent leadership is well underway, and we intend to announce new co-executive directors this summer.
The movement building we have contributed to at SiX is deeper than any one set of leaders. Our staff is leader-full, rooted in values and vision, and responsive to the needs of state legislators–like creating a new Federal Rapid Response Strategy Session bi-weekly series to adapt to an evolving landscape. This is the SiX of today and tomorrow.
It has been an honor and a privilege to lead SiX. We are grateful to the staff, board, funders, partners, and movement peers who made this journey possible. Together, we built an enduring institution—one that is stronger, more expansive, and more collaborative than we ever imagined when we began.
Though we’re stepping back, we aren’t stepping away from this movement. As we often say, movement work is like a choir – the singing continues with joy, even when some take a breath. You’ll hear our voices again in a different part of the choir.
In solidarity,
