Overview
On April 24, 2023, Cornerstone’s Executive Director Meg Schnabel announced that she will be stepping down and retiring after nine years with the organization at the end of the year. This page will be updated as Cornerstone’s Board of Directors and executive search committee seeks the next leader of this organization. Please check back for updates on the search and application process.
Past Updates:
9/7/2023 – Letter from Loren Thacker, Board Chair on New Executive Director
Dear Friends,
As the Chair of Cornerstone’s Board of Directors, I am excited to announce that Artika Roller will be joining Cornerstone as the new Executive Director on October 23rd, 2023. Artika is currently the Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), a statewide coalition driving transformative culture change to address sexual violence through advocacy, prevention, racial justice, and systems change. Artika has been a leader in the field of domestic and sexual violence services for over twenty years. She brings both a wealth of experience and a spirit of innovation to our organization. Artika has held direct service roles and leadership positions at The Family Partnership, Women’s Advocates, and Hennepin County.
As we begin this new chapter for Cornerstone, we want to thank Meg Schnabel for her tenure as Executive Director, who will be retiring at the end of October. Over the past 9 years, Meg has been instrumental in the growth of Cornerstone through the establishment of the MN Day One Call Center, general crime services, and our expanded housing and economic stability services. She will stay on for a limited period to help with creating a smooth leadership transition.
Cornerstone has been highly successful in retaining strong leaders that have contributed to moving Cornerstone forward and achieving that next level of impact for our participants. Our Board and leadership team are committed to building upon the significant progress that has been made and know that Artika will be carrying forward many of our core strategic objectives. Some of these include increasing our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; enhancing employee wellness and development; strengthening our infrastructure to support our overall mission; and deepening our revenue streams.
We all are excited to welcome Artika to Cornerstone and see what can be accomplished under her leadership. Many of you will have an opportunity to meet her at our 40th anniversary fundraising event in October. You can learn more about the event here.
Thank you for all that you do to support our mission.
In Gratitude,
Loren Thacker
Board Chair
6/6/2023 – Executive Director Position – Application Window Open
Applications are now being accepted for Executive Director Position. For more information on this position and the application process, please read the Executive Director Position Profile.
Inquiries may be directed to Lars Leafblad: lars@ballingerleafblad.com
Applications will be accepted until July 14 or until the position has been filled, which may be earlier. There will be an immediate and ongoing review of candidates, so we encourage and appreciate early applications. All inquiries will remain confidential.
6/1/2023 – Letter from Loren Thacker, Board Chair
Dear Cornerstone Friends:
On behalf of Cornerstone’s Board of Directors, I want to tell you about an important transition taking place at Cornerstone. Recently, our Executive Director, Meg Schnabel, announced that she will be retiring by the end of the year. We are so grateful for her leadership and her commitment to Cornerstone’s participants over the last nine years. We are also so grateful for all the ways she has positively changed and expanded the organization to meet the increasing—and ever-changing—needs of those we serve.
While we are excited for Meg and her next chapter, we are also aware that finding a new leader for Cornerstone is a critical task. As Chair of Cornerstone’s Board of Directors, I am honored to play a role in the search for Cornerstone’s next Executive Director and want to ensure that all those who are invested in this organization are kept informed.
A Search Committee is working with Ballinger Leafblad to assist us with the search and transition process. We are excited about the expertise and insight they bring to this process.
We are gathering input from board, staff and community members who are invested in Cornerstone’s success so that we can shape the next Executive Director’s role in a thoughtful way. The goal is to have the position posted within the next few weeks. Please watch for more and updates here, on our website, as we move through the process.
If you have input regarding our search process, please reach out to Lars Leafblad, at lars@ballingerleafblad.com
Regards,
Loren Thacker
Board Chair
4/24/2023 – Time of Transition for Cornerstone
In October of 2014, I joined Cornerstone and began one of the richest experiences of my life. I have felt so fortunate to be a part of this incredible organization and have witnessed firsthand the enormous and positive impact we have been having on individuals and children across our community. But now, nine years later, I have made the decision to step down and retire by the end of this year.
Since I first joined Cornerstone, so much has been accomplished that has brought deeper and expanded services to our participants. In addition to our emergency shelter; school-based prevention; legal and community advocacy; and clinical mental health services, new programs and services have been developed.
Some have included:
- Our Day One statewide call center – now responding to over 34,000 crisis calls from across Minnesota annually.
- Our General Crime advocacy services began for those impacted by crimes beyond domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. And Cornerstone became the designated service provider for Minnesota Crime Victim Emergency Funds across the state.
- Our Rapid Rehousing services as well as asset-building and economic empowerment work has resulted in longer term stabilization for our families.
- Our organizational infrastructure has been strengthened to support our broader array of services by expanding our accounting and finance department; our human resources department; and embedding stronger evaluation and data reporting metrics across the agency.
We are proud of the work done by our staff and appreciate the dedicated donors and volunteers over these past years who have made all of this, and more, possible. As many of you know, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. What I can tell you with certainty is… the success of this organization rests with all of us; with those who have come before us; and those who will lead into the future.
Currently, our committed Board of Directors and search committee are working closely with an executive search firm to ensure that the most capable individual is located and hired to lead the agency forward. I, too, will be actively involved and invested in doing all I can to ensure that a supportive and effective transition takes place. As the process progresses, additional information will be forthcoming and available on our website.
Until then, I look forward to continuing our work together to improve the lives of those impacted by violence and abuse. Thank you for your partnership and your commitment to Cornerstone’s mission.
In gratitude,
Meg
