Dear Friends and Supporters,

After 35 years leading COHHIO, I have given our Board of Directors notice that I plan to retire in six months and then work with new Executive Director help to assure a smooth transition.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have held this position, first as director of the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, which then eventually became the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend my career working for a cause that I truly believe in. I will find new ways to stay engaged in the work, but at this stage I feel it’s time to open a new chapter in my life. This feels like the right moment to hand the wheel to someone else with new ideas and fresh energy to continue the fight to end homelessness and expand affordable housing in our state.

I’m happy to say that I will be leaving COHHIO on firm footing. The organization is an advocacy force to be reckoned with at the state and federal levels, and is doing incredible work supporting the unsung heroes working on the frontlines of Ohio’s homelessness crisis. We owe that success to a wonderful team of dedicated and experienced staff and our network of committed advocates around the state.

Douglas Argue, our Managing Director, has decided not to apply for the Executive Director position, but agreed to continue in his current role at COHHIO. For this I am grateful because Douglas is so critical to the success of our organization and empowers our staff to shine in their daily work.

With no internal candidate in line to lead COHHIO when I step down, I am grateful to our Board for forming a search committee charged with identifying my successor. For more details, see the message below from our Board President Fred Berry.

Thank you for supporting COHHIO all these years and for helping us advocate for the most vulnerable people in our state.

Keep the Faith!

Bill Faith
Executive Director

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Dear COHHIO Team Members and Board Members:

With both sadness and gratitude we must announce that Bill Faith will be retiring as the Executive Director of COHHIO after more than 30 years as its leader. Bill gave a more or less 6 month transition notice but he work as long as is necessary to assure a smooth transition.

Bill joined COHHIO as its founding Executive Director in 1994 after serving as the Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless since 1986. Since then, he has been a tireless advocate for ending homelessness and creating affordable housing not only in Ohio but across the country. Together with the Board of Directors and staff, Bill has focused his passion on eradicating homelessness and creating more affordable housing through advocating for sound state, federal and local policies and increasing the capacity of local providers using evidence-based training and technical assistance.

Bill is leaving COHHIO in a very strong position for sustained stability and continued growth. We sincerely thank him for his contributions and leadership over the decades. COHHIO has a stable and diversified budget and a great team of 20 people with expertise and tenure, including Douglas Argue who will remain as the coalition’s Managing Director and continue to work alongside the next Executive Director.

The board has formed a committee who will begin the search process in earnest with the intent to receive interested candidates beginning in January 2022. We are confident that Bill and the COHHIO team will make this a smooth transition for our staff, partners and supporters.

If you have any questions about the transition or the organization, do not hesitate to reach out to the search committee at EDSearch@cohhio.org.

We wish to offer Bill our sincerest gratitude for his years of dedication and hope for all the best in his retirement years.

Sincerely,

Fred Berry
Board President
COHHIO Board of Directors