The Board of Directors of The INN Between appoints new Executive Director
As you may recall, last year was a time of significant change in the leadership of The INN Between. At the beginning of the year, I began my term as chair of the Board of Directors. Our first Executive Director moved on to other pursuits in May and was succeeded by then Director of Development and Finance Jeanie Ashby as Interim Executive Director. The board worked diligently with Jeanie on the initiatives needed to ensure the continued operational and financial success of The INN Between, and Jeanie did an outstanding job during this time of transition.
In December, Jeanie announced her retirement. The board moved to appoint long time employee Jillian Olmsted to the role of Acting Executive Director and at the same time, to begin the search for the next person to fill the Executive Director role. We received many applications for this position, and we interviewed several outstanding candidates. In the end, the entire board agreed that Jillian’s combination of executive and operational skills, her understanding of the unique needs of the population we serve, and her compassionate approach to leadership and workplace culture made her the clear candidate of choice.
So it is with great pleasure that I announce Jillian Olmsted as the new Executive Director of The INN Between, effective immediately. Many of you will already be familiar with Jillian, whose relationship with The INN Between dates back to the early days of its founding. “I first became involved as a volunteer after experiencing the deaths of several close family members receiving hospice care,” she recalls. “I was so impressed with the level of care they received and the dignity they experienced by dying in their own homes. When I learned that The INN Between’s mission was to offer this same care and dignity at end of life for people experiencing homelessness, I had to get involved.”
In 2016 Ms. Olmsted joined The INN Between as a volunteer, was then hired in early 2017, and has served in several roles including Event and Outreach Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, HR Director and Operations Director, and Assistant Executive Director. For the last three months she has led the organization as Acting Executive Director. “I look forward to settling into the role and working with the staff, Board of Directors, and community partners. Together, we will continue to improve the day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives that will ensure the success of our mission to provide a safe home for people who have nowhere to live during a medical crisis or at end of life,” Jillian affirms.
Please join me in welcoming Jillian to her new role as Executive Director. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or Jillian directly.
Sincerely,
James Anthony Hoagland Board of Directors, Chair
801-541-3705
About Jillian
A mother of two and military wife of over 21 years Jillian Olmsted developed an appreciation for the mission of The INN Between after her mother and father were placed on hospice care before passing. She started as a volunteer, was hired on as the Events and Outreach Coordinator and later transitioned to Operations and HR Director with responsibilities in human resources and operations, facility management, events, IT and organizational functions. Since working at The INN Between, she has acquired a Professional Management Certificate from the University of Utah and attended nine organizational credentials on behalf of The INN Between from Utah Nonprofits Association.
Thank you all for the support of The INN Between. I am deeply honored and humbled to be taking on this new role. I could not think of a better mission to be engaged in; end-of-life care for the homeless. I am committed to the success of this organization, and I am committed to the dignity and respect we afford all our residents, staff, and volunteers.
With my dedication and leadership:
- The INN Between is recommitting to our mission and the core values that direct and guide our work daily: compassion, community, dignity, and respect.
- We are committing to utilizing our facility at its full capacity of 50 beds.
- To do this we are increasing direct care staffing including the hiring of a founding Board Member as our Assistant Nurse Supervisor and an End-of-Life Care Practitioner as our Head of Client Services, along with moving to a centralized intake coordinator to ensure timely referrals and admissions.
- We are committing to strengthening our community partnerships and resources.
- The INN Between is committing to a healthy workplace culture that embraces emotional support for our staff and residents who are in a cycle of loss and grief.
Once again, I am humbled by the outpouring of support and respect from my family, of our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, residents, and community.
Sincerely,
Jillian Olmsted
Executive Director
The INN Between