It is with a mix of sadness, and great appreciation, that I announce our Chief Executive Officer, Rhyll Dorrington, is leaving Western Chances to pursue new opportunities and adventures. Rhyll has played a vital role in the development and success of Western Chances over nearly 12 years, and will be greatly missed by the staff, Board, recipients and collaboration partners.

As the first full-time CEO of Western Chances, Rhyll has made an extraordinary contribution to our growth, her many achievements including:

• Building Western Chances’ reputation as a highly effective not-for-profit across the local and broader Melbourne metropolitan community
• Raising more than $12.5 million
• Achieving multi-channel revenue streams, including a critical multi-year funding strategy
• Providing over $9 million of scholarships and high quality development opportunities and innumerable job connections and ongoing support for young people
• Building many major long term partnerships and personally nurturing close and committed partner relationships
• Developing a close knit and highly effective team and resilient organisation
• Steering Western Chances through the turbulent period of COVID-19, maintaining funding, programs and staffing levels.

On a personal note as Founding Chair, I would like to say how much I have valued Rhyll’s dedication. I have loved working with her and I know that experience has been shared by my fellow Board colleagues, staff and volunteers. I greatly value and admire her energy and passion for social justice, which she has used to develop Western Chances and increase our network.

We extend a heartfelt thanks to Rhyll for her tireless hard work, and dedication to supporting young people from Melbourne’s mighty western suburbs. Although we are sad to lose Rhyll’s outstanding leadership and passion, we are not daunted. She leaves the organisation in excellent health with a very strong team in place. We are excited for Rhyll’s future after she takes a well-earned break, and wish her all the best for the next step in her professional life.

Our priority now is to find the best individual to take on this exciting CEO role. Over the next few weeks, we will undertake a recruitment process and Rhyll has agreed to stay on during the transition period to ensure a smooth handover. We are looking forward to the next chapter of Western Chances, as we continue to strive to reach our vision of ensuring young people who are facing financial barriers achieve their potential.