This year has been one of challenge and change, for us as individuals, for the organization we love, and for the academic community we serve. 

On the individual front, Debra Mashek, Heterodox Academy’s inaugural Executive Director, decided that the time is right to devote her professional attention to her higher ed and nonprofit consulting agency, a decision that required her to step away from her leadership role at HxA. She will continue to support HxA through the end of the calendar year as an Executive Advisor, partnering with the Interim Executive Director, the Board, and the rest of Team HxA to ensure smooth transitions and continued organizational success.

Debra joined HxA in 2017 as our first Executive Director. She provided thoughtful and consistent leadership to guide HxA through three extraordinary years of growth—transforming HxA from an informal network of about a thousand professors into a fully formed, well regarded, standalone 501c3 with over four thousand members. 

Debra’s work focused on establishing solid foundations for the fledgling organization, including articulating HxA’s theory of change and strategic framework, advocating for The HxA Way, building positive relationships with key academic stakeholders, developing Team HxA, and establishing the operational structures of the organization. 

Based on her stellar organizational leadership, depth of knowledge about HxA, and all-around know-how, the Board asked Manon Loustaunau--formerly our Director of Operations--to serve as Interim Executive Director. Manon’s background in nonprofit management will serve the organization well during this exciting time of growth and change.

As more evidence of the organization’s development and deepening possibilities, the Board has decided to expand our leadership team to include a President, who will primarily serve in an external-facing role, working hand-in-hand with the Executive Director, who will primarily serve an internal-facing role.

The COVID pandemic spurred a lot of unexpected organizational change, as well. Our team moved to remote work in mid-March and on April 3 we launched a rapid needs assessment to learn how to best support our members. We immediately offered pop-up programming for our members, and we retooled our work to respond to the new context while also remaining true to our mission. This included revising our large projects, working hand-in-hand with our philanthropic partners who demonstrated deeply appreciated flexibility in their funding commitments along the way. A silver lining during this pandemic year is that we got to witness time and again the resilience and resourcefulness of the individuals who make up Team HxA.

American society, like many others, is in the midst of enormous cultural shifts that affect higher ed--not just because of the global pandemic, not just because of long-overdue attention to issues of racial injustice and inequity, not just because it is an election year in the USA. Within this fast-changing cultural landscape, the values at the heart of HxA’s mission are more important than ever. It is precisely when situations are uncertain, complex, ambiguous, or dynamic that open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement are most important. 

HxA is ready to meet this moment, responding to the needs of members and the broader higher ed community while staying true to our mission and vision.

Thank you for being part of our vibrant community.

Sincerely,
Manon Loustaunau
Interim Executive Director

Jonathan Haidt
Chair, HxA Board

Debra Mashek
Past Executive Director