Dear MCoC Members and Partners,
After a great deal of thought and reflection, I have made the decision to step down as Executive Director of the Maine Continuum of Care.
This is not a decision I have made lightly. My mother has been declining over the past two years, and particularly over the past year, and I have reached a point where I need to make spending more time with her and my family a priority.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the MCoC and for the trust the Board placed in me. Serving in this role has been one of the great privileges of my professional life. I have had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary group of people across Maine who care deeply about ending homelessness and improving the lives of people in our communities.
The past year has been one of the most challenging periods the MCoC has faced. We navigated three different federal NOFO processes, significant changes in federal policy, litigation and uncertainty, compressed timelines, and difficult decisions about the future of our homelessness response system. Through all of it, the MCoC Board, MaineHousing, our committees, providers, state and local partners, and people with lived experience continued to show up and do the work.
I am particularly proud of how the MCoC has grown as an organization. We have welcomed new organizations and voices, strengthened relationships with state agencies and other partners, invested in better data and planning, and continued to build a culture that is more collaborative and inclusive. There is much more work to do, but I believe the MCoC is stronger today because of the people who have stepped forward to help lead it.
I am especially grateful to Greg Payne and the MCoC Board for their leadership and support. The Board has taken on an enormous amount this past year, often meeting multiple times a month and making difficult decisions under extraordinary circumstances. I have also been fortunate to work closely with the MaineHousing team, our Collaborative Applicant, our committees, and so many providers and community partners. I have learned something from each of you.
My current contract ends at the end of October. I have asked the Board to consider extending my contract for one additional month, through November 30, to allow additional time to support the transition and help the Board begin the search for the next Executive Director. Regardless of the final timing, my commitment is to do everything I can to leave the MCoC in a strong position and support a smooth transition.
I leave this role with tremendous appreciation for the opportunity to have been part of this work. Homelessness is complicated, and there are no easy answers. But I have never doubted that Maine has people willing to do the hard work of finding better answers.
Thank you to everyone who welcomed me, challenged me, worked alongside me, and believed in the mission of the MCoC. Most of all, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve.
I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am deeply grateful for the people I have met along the way.
Dean Klein
Executive Director
Maine Continuum of Care