Randi Bregman, Angela Douglas Serve as Vera House Co-Executive Directors

It is with great excitement that we announce Randi Bregman and Angela Douglas will serve as Co-Executive Directors of Vera House, Inc., effective Tuesday, December 1st! At the Vera House, Inc. November 17 Board meeting, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to pass this shared leadership structure. This decision was intentional, deliberate and conscious.

Randi Bregman was appointed Executive Director of Vera House, Inc. in 2001 and has been with the agency since 1990. During Randi’s first 11-years at Vera House, she served as the Coordinator of the Syracuse Area Domestic Violence Coalition. Randi has demonstrated a level of commitment and personal sacrifice beyond compare and lives her life promoting Vera House’s vision – a world free of violence and abuse. Over the last 19 years, she has overseen the everyday work at Vera House and is responsible for administration and financial management, supervision of staff, fundraising and fund development, community education and professional training and program development for the agency.

Angela Douglas left her role as Executive Director of Mercy Works to join Vera House as Associate Director in the fall of 2017. Angela had also served as the Executive Director and Founder of Visions for Change, another local human service agency. Angela came to Vera House having served on several non-profit Boards and with extensive experience as a consultant on leadership, conflict resolution and board development. She quickly emerged as a strong leader in the organization as exemplified by:

• Developing, implementing, tracking and reporting for Vera House’s comprehensive Strategic Planning Process.
• Designing and implementing an 18-month leadership development plan that included a process for cultivating emerging leaders to create a pipeline and career path internally.
• Introducing and facilitating planning for program and service alignment with ultimate restructure.
• Participating in and supporting Board and Foundation planning.
• Serving as Chair of the Survivors’ Network.

Randi shared, “Angela has the experience, skills and talent to be the Executive Director of Vera House. Furthermore, she is a woman of color and a survivor - identities that help our agency advance our strategic direction and further our mission. I am confident that Angela serving as Co-Executive Director will strengthen Vera House as we head into 2021 and beyond.”

Angela added, “I am passionate about the mission of Vera House, the quality of the work we do and the staff who implement our programs and services. Working together, we can enhance the impact Vera House will have on the communities that we want to serve. We will leverage our strengths outside of the traditional avenues and build greater community partnerships that impact clients and center the voices of survivors.”

Randi and Angela will formally share leadership of Vera House in partnership with other executive leaders. Both will be actively engaged with the Board of Directors and Foundation Board of Trustees, and will play key roles in budgeting, program development and fund development.

Vera House Board members are enthusiastic about this shared leadership structure. Here is what a few had to say:

“The combined leadership, skills and talents of Randi and Angela is a recognition of the reality of how Vera House can operate more effectively.” – Barbara Karper, Board President

“Over the past 6 years, I have had the honor of serving as a member of Vera House’s Board and over that time, I have always admired Randi’s leadership and passion for the organization. However, about 3 years ago, when we were introduced to Angela Douglas at one of our meetings, it was immediately apparent how monumental she would be for the future of Vera House. Angela’s passion for the work and her visionary and thoughtful leadership style directly inspired, challenged and supported Randi, the Staff and the entire Board to be more deliberate, strategic and thought-provoking in all aspects of the work. Angela adds the exact right combination of leadership, ability, passion, compassion, vision and dedication to move the needle for Vera House and for our community. I am so proud and honored to congratulate Angela on this well-deserved recognition. Randi and Angela make an incredibly powerful team and I have no doubt, leading together, they will bring Vera House even closer towards achieving its Vision and Mission, while making us all better humans along the way.” – Sarah Fitzgerald, Board member

“Asking Angela to officially step into the role of co-executive director alongside Randi is one of the best decisions we have made as a board and organization. Angela not only brings a wealth of relevant experience and insight but is also a forward-thinking, compassionate, and inspirational leader. Every time I hear her speak, I am left even more motivated and impassioned to work toward creating a world where all are free from violence and abuse. I am overwhelmingly optimistic about the future with Angela and Randi leading us forward.” – Rebecca Ortiz, Board member

"The confidence in the structure, strategy and soul of any great organization almost always begins with an unwavering trust and fierce belief in its leadership. For over two decades Randi Bregman’s dedication, bravery and steadfast vision for Vera House, coupled with her team and community support has resulted in the creation of a safe haven and support system for those affected by domestic and sexual violence. Because of this, Vera House has become one of the single most important organizations to exist not only in this city, but in this country and in our world. The recent decision to appoint Angela Douglas as Co-Executive Director is a monumental step towards the future of both the mission as well as the mindset of the entire organization. It is a symbol of hope and a sign that the evolution of Vera House is not only continuing to move forward but has only just begun. Speaking from personal experience, I believe that Angela Douglas is one of those rare individuals who embraces life with love, passion with patience, and unwavering courage in the face of insurmountable obstacles. In short, I applaud this decision by Vera House and am so very excited to see what the next steps in the Vera House journey will be. Congratulations, Angela and Randi!” – Solon Quinn, Board member