Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - October 4, 2007
Seth Hemmelgarn
Kevin Burns, who started volunteering with the agency 20 years ago after seeing people in his "chosen family" die from AIDS, announced his intentions to the board of directors earlier this month. He had been executive director more than three years.
Burns, 61, said in a phone interview that leaving is a "really hard decision," but he wants to spend more time with friends and family. He's not sure what his next job will be, but he will not be seeking another executive director position. Burns said it's time for him to seek new challenges, and time for the agency to bring in someone with fresh ideas.
He has not given an effective date for his resignation, in order to allow the board time to find a replacement. Burns intends to stay for as long as the process takes.
When asked if the board would fold the executive director position into another position, Burns wrote in an e-mail, "While the search committee is in the early process of being formed and no final decisions have been made, the current thought is that we will be looking for a new director."
Shanti works to enhance the lives of people with life-threatening illnesses through volunteer-based services such as education, treatment advocacy and peer support. The agency, which serves over 1,200 clients a year, has a budget of about $3 million, more than 35 staff members and 200 volunteers. The agency was founded in 1974.
The agency also offers its Learning Immune Function Enhancement program. Participants in the program learn new ways that disease progression can be replaced by health progression. It does not conflict with established medical therapies for HIV, a statement on Shanti's Web site states.
The agency has had its bumps. In 1993, then-directors Eric Rofes and Melinda Paras quit after they they were unable to account for $2.7 million in federal funds. Burns, still a volunteer at the time, said Shanti was found clear of wrongdoing. Rofes, who went on to become a popular author and activist, died last summer after suffering an apparent heart attack.
Burns, who also worked as the agency's volunteer coordinator for several years, said the agency is "okay at this point," but, like other agencies with similar-size budgets, money is always going to be "a bit of a struggle." However, he said the agency has many loyal, long-term donors.
In an e-mail, Burns said the agency receives about $1.7 million in city contracts. This includes $656,000 in HIV prevention for positives funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $164,000 for breast cancer services, $504,000 from the city's general fund for two collaborations for HIV support services, and $381,00 from Ryan White CARE Act funds. He said the agency does not have any housing contracts.
One challenge for the agency is to build more relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors so that it can rely less on government funding, which has been an unsteady source for many nonprofits.
Another challenge will be "finding someone who understands the uniqueness of the agency's work," as well as someone who possesses the requisite passion, Burns said.
"I have no doubt the individual's out there," Burns said. "It just may take some time to find the right person."
When someone leaves a job with no specific future plans than spending more time with family and friends, it's often taken as a sign of trouble. But Burns said he wasn't pressured to leave.
"There's really no drama," Burns said. He said he wouldn't be staying through the transition period if there had been.
In a statement, Ruben Gamundi, the chair of the board of directors, said, "Although Shanti is saddened to see Kevin leave, it's an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the organization. The board looks forward to Kevin's new role with Shanti."
Burns said that directors have talked to him about joining the board, and he said he's "open to having that discussion." He said any future work he does with the agency would be non-paid.
"I'll be coming full circle," Burns said, since he started as a volunteer.
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