A Message from our Board President – ED Update

A Message from Our Board President

On behalf of the Rose Haven Board of Directors, I am delighted to announce the selection of Katie O’Brien as our new Executive Director.

Katie has been serving as the Interim Director for the last 6 months and has been a part of Rose Haven for over 10 years as a Development Consultant, and more recently as Deputy Director.

In those 10 years Rose Haven has grown from a newly formed 501c3 to a vibrant agency realizing a 379% growth in demand for services.  With a budget approaching $1m, the board is confident Katie is poised to transport Rose Haven through this next stage of growth.

She is experienced in managing the day to day while securing financial resources, expanding partnerships and elevating the community profile.  Her management experience and creative vision allow her to lead a talented and passionate staff committed to the mission of serving our most vulnerable.

As Katie profoundly surmises:
“After 10 years with Rose Haven, I continue to feel excited to come here each day and support this important mission. I greatly admire the resiliency of our guests, dedication of our huge volunteers corps, unyielding support from our grassroots donor base, and compassion of our exceptional staff. To work alongside such smart, passionate and energetic people is an honor.

Oregon has the 2nd highest rate of homelessness in the country. We must continue to expand services and programs to meet the escalating needs of the chronically homeless community we serve. As the only full service daytime shelter serving women, children and gender diverse people in Portland, we have our work cut out for us. Together we are destined to do great things to better serve people in our community who deserve healthier and happier lives.”

Kathy Kelly
Board President