Letter from JAWS President, Executive Director

I want to share an important message from Eloiza Altoro, who has decided to step down from JAWS in March for personal reasons. We all owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for her leadership and hard work of more than three years.

Eloiza arrived at a time when JAWS needed her most, as we navigated a leadership and organizational transition, our own racial reckoning, lagging financial reporting and then the pandemic. Her heroic work and brilliance set us on a path to stability and success, with operational rigor, transparent financials, stronger foundation and philanthropic support, and record levels of sponsorship funding for CAMP. We’re a stronger organization because of her.

I hope you’ll join me in expressing our deepest gratitude and admiration, and wishing her all the joy she deserves for herself and her family.

We will be starting an immediate national search for a new executive director. Please help us by sharing the job description and application instructions with excellent candidates or email suggestions to me and Linda Jue, who will be leading the search. Application deadline is Jan. 6, 2023.

Warmly,

Jenn Kho

LETTER FROM ELOIZA:

Greetings JAWS community,

After several years of working with JAWS, first as the Interim Executive Director and now as the Executive Director, I have decided to step down from my role to pursue some personal goals and priorities.

I’ve had a fulfilling experience with JAWS, and I am now looking forward to the next chapter of my life. As many of you know, I am in a season of life transitions and after deep reflection, I have decided that I want to take a step back and dedicate more time to personal goals and priorities with family and friends who also need my support. I plan to continue consulting part time with nonprofits and professional societies as well as travel around the world.

I am so grateful for what we have done since 2019. We have been able to work through some very challenging times as an organization and have pivoted successfully during the pandemic. From the beginning of my tenure, I have been blessed working with committed board members and amazing and passionate staff, volunteers and members. I am proud of the relationships we’ve developed with our strategic partners, funders, donors and sponsors. Over the past few years, JAWS has reshaped its mission, programs and strategies. Under the leadership of Mira Lowe and Jenn Kho, the organization has grown, reflected, pivoted, stabilized and will continue to thrive.

My passion for and commitment to women’s issues and the field of journalism will remain. I will continue to serve the community in new and different ways now and in the future.

I will remain with JAWS until the end of March 2023 in order to wrap up tasks from 2022. I will also do my best to ensure a smooth transition to my successor.

I’m looking forward to watching JAWS continue in its important mission of advancing women in journalism, and I will continue to be a supporter and fan.

With gratitude,

Eloiza Altoro
JAWS Executive Director