Goodbyes and Thank Yous at Leeway
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Leeway asks our communities to join us in wishing our Deputy Director, Melissa Hamilton, lots of success as she transitions out of her role at Leeway later this month and starts her work as Program Officer at the Independence Public Media Foundation in early August.
Over the last decade, Melissa has brought wisdom, steadiness, growth, and gratitude to Leeway’s team and our communities served. Her perspective - as an artist, as a Philadelphian, and as a person deeply rooted in community - has helped Leeway fulfill our mission and strengthen our values, and her work over the last decade will continue to inform how Leeway’s moves into the future. See Melissa’s message to our community and more about her next steps below.
"I have been so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work for Leeway, on-and-off again, for nearly a decade. When I returned in 2019, as the Interim Program Director, I honestly didn’t think I’d still be here in 2025, but these last six years have been incredibly rewarding. Over that time, Leeway has increased its grantmaking by 70%, moving over $3M to 900 women, trans, and gender nonconforming artists. Yet, this work has meant way more than data to me – it’s been about relationships, care, and building movements for change in the Philly region.
My last day will be July 24th; I will be heading to the Independence Public Media Foundation as their new Program Officer to support their work moving resources toward community-owned media for justice in our region. To Leeway’s grantees and community at-large, thank you for this time together. This work has changed my life and trajectory. I’ll be forever humbled and grateful."
Our grantmaking programs will be held steady by the current team and interim support while we work towards filling the Deputy Director vacancy on our staff in the upcoming months. More information will be shared via our e-news and social media channels as we begin that search.
