White River Junction
“Every day, the Upper Valley Haven opens its doors to offer food, shelter, education, and counseling to those in need, serving not only our guests, but also our broader community,” Redmond said in a statement the Haven released on Thursday afternoon. “Its impact is far-reaching and profound. I look forward to the opportunity to join the Haven’s impressive staff, volunteers, and supporters.”
The leadership transition has been planned for about a year — Kobylenski announced last fall that she intended to leave this fall, after nearly a decade of leadership.
During her tenure, the Haven has grown — it sheltered 82 people in FY 2010 and 373 in FY 2017, even as the number of staff members quadrupled. The Haven also provides educational services and a food pantry.
Earlier this summer, the Couch Family Foundation announced that it had hired Kobylenski to help it explore new ways to help vulnerable children ages 5 or younger.
Redmond, who will take the reins at the Haven on Oct. 15, has spent 20 years with the Crotched Mountain Foundation in Greenfield, N.H., including stints as chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
In addition to its 1,400-acre campus in Greenfield, some 27 miles west of Manchester, Crotched Mountain also has locations in Manchester, Portsmouth and Concord, and provides services throughout the state.
Redmond was chosen after a national search; he was the unanimous choice of the search committee, and he was hired on a unanimous vote by the Haven’s board of trustees.
“As we got to know him, it became clear that he personally connects to the mission of the Haven and our commitment to the community, embraces our strong culture, and can lead us forward,” said Sarah Miles and Tim van Leer, the search committee’s co-chairs.
Crotched Mountain, which has seen significant fluctuation in revenues over the past several years, also recently has changed the services it offers; last year, it closed a specialty hospital in Greenfield and earlier this year, it opened an autism care center on the same site. It also recently announced plans to sell off its audiology services.
Merritt Patridge, president of the board of directors at the Haven, said Redmond’s “thoughtful leadership style and collaborative approach” would help the shelter “achieve even better outcomes for those living in poverty in the Upper Valley.”
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.