After seven and a half wonderful years, Zachary Clark is transitioning out of his role as 826DC’s Executive Director and moving on to his next adventure.
“I am proud of the forward-looking, visionary, and people-centered organization that 826DC is today,” says Zachary. “What we are endeavoring to accomplish is meaningful and challenging: a nonprofit model that aspires toward transformative, relevant impact by investing in its people in material ways. This is what the future of our field can look like—sustainable and ethical—and we’ve seen how this approach leads to better outcomes for those we serve here in DC.
“Being in community with 826DC’s young writers is what I imagine it was like to witness electricity for the first time: novel and vivid and impossibly brilliant. To witness their growth—as storytellers, as writers, as change agents—is a privilege that has shaped my understanding of the world. We are lucky to have the opportunity to learn from them; I am eager to continue cheering them on in the years to come.”
His last day will be September 26th.
“Zachary is an exceptional leader who will be missed,” says Dr. Miah Daughtery, 826DC’s Board Chair. “I am also deeply grateful that he is leaving 826DC better than when he found it. We are financially strong, we have a focused and coherent strategic plan that will continue to guide the work, and—most importantly—the students are happy and excited.”
Andrea Nelson, 826DC’s Director of Education, will serve as Interim Executive Director while we search for the next person to take on this role. Andrea’s expertise with our pedagogy, students, and programs will help ensure that the 826DC we all know and love will continue to thrive during this transition.
“I could not be more confident leaving 826DC in the capable hands of Andrea Nelson, Dr. Miah Daughtery, and the rest of our talented staff and board,” says Zachary. “This is a community of visionary thinkers; dedicated educators and leaders who understand how to meet the evolving needs of DC youth today and to build the organizational structures necessary to sustain this work for future generations.”
The 826DC team will really miss Zachary. We also remain excited about the many projects that we have planned for this year, including a spooky stories month at After-School Writing Lab, a new teen mentorship program, and a multigenre book by Brookland Middle School students!
We hope you’ll join us in wishing the very best to Zachary and in appreciating all that he’s helped build here.