The former president and CEO of Pillar Nonprofit Network has broken her silence following her surprise removal from the London, Ont., organization last month, adding that the move left her “confused and disappointed.”
In a series of tweets published on Thursday, Mojdeh Cox says “there has been a lot of speculation and I’ve been inundated with inquiries about my departure… instead of responding to every individual inquiry, I want to make the following brief statement.”
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Cox was introduced as Pillar’s new president and CEO back in April 2021. The organization is a registered charity that advocates for and provides support to hundreds of non-profits in the London area.
Dear friends, colleagues, network & community members,
As many of you know, a few weeks ago I was exited from my position as President & CEO of Pillar Nonprofit Network. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation and I’ve been inundated w/ inquiries about my departure. 1/_
— Mojdeh Cox (@MojdehCox) August 4, 2022
In Thursday’s Twitter thread, Cox recalled that she “relocated my family from our life in Ottawa and returned to the London-Middlesex area because I believed in Pillar’s core values and was moved by their stated commitment to equity and anti-oppression named in the strategic plan.”
Cox adds that she remains “very proud of what me and the incredibly dedicated team of colleagues accomplished during my relatively short tenure at Pillar.”
“While my abrupt exit has certainly left me confused and disappointed, the support that I have received from the community and individuals and organizations across the country has been nothing short of inspiring,” Cox said.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me, yet I invite you to join me on this journey of getting to know my community again.”
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Since Cox’s departure, Pillar’s board of directors have appointed Rachel Berdan and Tanja Kueneman to serve as interim co-presidents and co-CEOs, effective July 21. Berdan and Kueneman previously served as Pillar’s vice-president of transformation and community-based economy and vice-president of finance and strategy, respectively.
Little else has been said by Pillar about Cox’s removal, including what led to her abrupt exit from the organization.
In the statement announcing the interim leadership of Berdan and Kueneman, Pillar’s board said a search for Cox’s permanent replacement would be conducted “in the coming months.”
In another follow-up statement from Pillar’s board, published on July 25, the group said it “intends to be as transparent as we can be, while respecting the confidentiality and privacy of the individual involved.”
“Maintaining confidentiality and privacy in these situations is paramount, both from a legal perspective but also, importantly, to respect and protect the individual involved,” the board added.
The latest statement from Pillar was published on Wednesday and came instead from the organization’s staff team.
“Since the unexpected exit of our past President and CEO, Mojdeh Cox, the Pillar staff team has been experiencing many emotions. We’re still trying to find the words to say what’s in our hearts while we walk through this moment,” the statement said.
“We’ll continue to build on the momentum of our recent work on policy advocacy, decent work, social justice, and radical accountability, with deep gratitude for Mojdeh’s contributions. Her impact endures in our work and we’ll carry these lessons forward.”
Global News has reached out to Pillar’s board of directors for comment.