a message from dominique alex, Mary’s Place CEO

Hello!

I’m excited to share that I have accepted the permanent Chief Executive Officer role at Mary's Place. It is truly an honor and privilege to be the leader of this incredible organization.

As you may be aware, when our Founding Executive Director, Marty Hartman, stepped down last year, I transitioned into the role of interim CEO. Marty’s vision, mentorship and friendship were invaluable to me in the interim period, as was the support and encouragement from many others. I am especially appreciative of our incredible Board of Directors for their leadership and confidence. 

Our dedicated and committed staff inspire me daily with the passion and commitment they bring to developing critical partnerships, piloting and implementing best practices, and leading the way to address the crisis of family homelessness. 

My background and prior leadership experience are in comprehensive early learning, advocacy, and family support, focusing on families with low income or experiencing homelessness. I have always strived to achieve long-term outcomes for families through innovative and equitable approaches, programming, and intentional partnerships that center the voices of the community, staff, and those with lived experience. 

My heart is with the children who make up more than half of our guests in shelter. I have always believed how you start has everything to do with where you end up. I’m committed to Mary's Place's vision of a community where all families have safety, stability, and housing – where they can thrive and succeed.

I’m grateful for the many voices that have spoken into my life and shared their experience, wisdom, and perspective. It has paved the way, informed my path, and prepared me for this important role at this critical time.

My approach to this work can be summed up by this African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We could do not do this work without you – thank you for coming alongside us on this journey. Together, we will grow and scale this work and ensure that no child sleeps outside in our community. 

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work together with you, along with our community partners, our staff, and most importantly, our guests, to launch this next chapter at Mary's Place and reimagine how we can address and end our crisis of family homelessness.

Duly grateful,

Dominique Alex
Chief Executive Officer