Today’s post is by Elizabeth Krause, outgoing VP of Policy and Communications
After 10 years and 10 months, and three job titles, today is my last day with the Connecticut Health Foundation. I am headed to Austin to join the staff of a rapidly growing health foundation that is about to make a pivot into strategic philanthropy.
Reactions to my news have been varied. Many people have expressed quick enthusiasm for a booming, diverse city that is known for live music and great food. Colleagues in policy and advocacy have not missed an opportunity to remind me about Texas’s different history where it comes to health policy. And a few people thought they heard me say Boston. But all have made me feel valued and prematurely missed – a feeling that is mutual.
While I could give a rundown of my proudest accomplishments, I will spare you with the hope that my contributions will stand on their own, embedded in institutional memory and oral tradition (be kind). After all, I was never here to enforce reporting deadlines and policy brief word counts. I was here to be your partner as someone with skin in the game for the Connecticut we were shaping together.
Leaving a job and community I love is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. How privileged I have been to work with phenomenal board members, team members, colleagues, leadership fellows, and grantees – all under the incomparable mentorship of Patricia Baker.
Just as J. Alfred Prufrok measured his life in coffee spoons and a hundred visions and revisions, I have measured my decade at CT Health in Keurig pods and evolving visions for the persevering work of health equity.