At the end of September Carol Cowan-Levine’s term as Chair of the Eli’s Place Board came to an end. Carol will remain as a member of the board, but has stepped back after 4 years at the helm. At our Annual General Meeting, incoming Board Chair Howard Hamer gave a splendid summation of Carol’s impact on Eli’s Place which included many superlatives. Howard described Carol as “highly organized, a precise thinker with high energy.” He noted she is “fair minded and sincerely cares about Eli’s Place. She is generous with her time and is a very compassionate person.”
Indeed Carol is a leader with many strengths. We asked members of the Eli’s Place organization to reflect on Carol’s leadership and, as one member said, it was an easy task as “there are just so many good things to say about Carol!”
Here are some of the reflections shared about Carol:
We could go on! Instead, we will conclude with the reflections of two people whose appreciation for Carol’s dedication to the vision of Eli’s Place is very personal — our co-founders, David and Deborah Cooper.
Deborah reflected on Carol’s tenure in this way:
David, recognizing that Carol has always enjoyed sharing a pertinent quote at meetings and speaking engagements, opened his reflection with a particularly poignant quote from Fred Rogers:
And so it is with deep gratitude that we mark the passing of the gavel and look forward, with anticipation, to Carol’s input at the board table in a different capacity.
Eli’s Place will be a rural, residential treatment program for young adults with serious mental illness. To learn more about our mission and our proven-effective model click here.