A CEO’S GOODBYE seen. We had long conversations about clarifying our roles. As the founder, he was like a grandparent and could play with the child, feed the child, and then go home. I was responsible for the care, diapering, and decisions that a CEO needs to make, as well as the overwhelming burden of fundraising and working with the government. We share stories and challenges in a way only somebody with our shared experience can know.
BY JOANNE PAGE President & CEO, The Fortune Society
After 34 years as President and CEO of The Fortune Society, I plan to retire at the close of this year. It has been the honor and pleasure of my life to be head of The Fortune Society for this three-and-a-halfdecade term. When I came to Fortune in 1989, I deeply loved the organization. I was a summer intern during my law school journey. I was moved by the commitment and love of the people who worked at Fortune and by the courage of the people who came to change their lives. When I returned to head the agency, I felt I was taking on a sacred trust. Fortune is unique in my experience. We try to live by that commitment. As we work with the people who come to us hoping to build a better life, we treat them like our loved ones seeking help. Fortune’s first housing program was the beds of its volunteers, and we continue to strive to keep that way of ensuring that people get what they need without the delays and hoopjumping of bureaucracy.
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I tried to retire twice before. The first time, I was not ready to leave Fortune and the work and community that I love, and I still had much that I wished to accomplish as CEO. The second time, I stayed because I needed to bring Fortune safely through the worst of the pandemic and the healing afterward.
Fortune is also magical for its diversity, not just age, race, and the usual diversity measures, but true diversity in life experience. From its founding, when David Rothenberg, Kenny Jackson, Mel Rivers and others started Fortune, it was a collaboration of people from outside Now I will be retiring just before my the system committed to social 70th birthday. I want my retirement justice and to fighting inhumane to be like David’s: connected to the methods, alongside people formerly organization and community I love incarcerated who had that same and the work commitment. that changes Fortune has a dual people’s mission: service “Working with the lives and and advocacy. leaders, staff, and our barbaric We provide the criminal legal participants at services and tools system. to have people Fortune has been the build a better life What I have privilege of my life.” after the trauma learned at of incarceration, Fortune is and we seek how beautiful to address the people are when systemic issues that brutalize justicethey first find hope. I have seen how impacted people and trap them into a people who have come through cycle of damage to themselves, their hellholes like Rikers Island can grow families, and their communities. and thrive and find their wings in a caring and supportive environment. David Rothenberg came to me Working with the leaders, staff, and several years into my tenure, and participants at Fortune has been the we developed the sweetest example privilege of my life. I am endlessly of Founder’s Syndrome I have ever
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