Bryan on sabbatical
Simply Smiles Inc.
2003: We drove a bus down to Mexico, full of supplies and donations, in support of our first partnership with Casa Hogar in Oaxaca
Recently, I was taking a walk with a few of the children in the neighborhood around the Simply Smiles Children’s Village in Oaxaca, Mexico when the smells and sounds of the dirt road transported me in memory back to 2003 and driving a yellow school bus full of donations all the way from Connecticut to southern Mexico two decades ago. That was the adventure that started it all. And this year, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Simply Smiles, there are so many adventures, successes, challenges, and incredible people to remember and to be grateful for.
At the 20-year milestone, I’ve decided to dedicate some time to rest, reflect, and look to the future of Simply Smiles; to the next twenty years of providing bright futures for children, families, and communities.
To do so, I’ll be on sabbatical from my leadership position at Simply Smiles from May through October 31, 2023.
During this time, Communications Manager Alexandra Gross will serve as acting director of the organization. I am incredibly grateful to Alex and to the entire Simply Smiles team for their support. During my sabbatical, Simply Smiles will continue to pursue our goals and fulfill our mission in their exceptionally capable hands.
At our April meeting with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council, we were discussing the Children’s Village and its impact on Native children, when someone commented that Simply Smiles had “certainly come a very long way from starting our work on the Reservation from a tent pitched under a tree in La Plant.” My mind flooded with memories and flashed to countless smiling faces, including so many nights in tents from the prairie of the Reservation to the mountains of Mexico and all of the people who have made our work possible. It’s been quite the first twenty years!
I look forward to where this continued journey will take us. I look forward to the positive impact we will have in the years to come. I look forward to spending the next months with my wife, Kristen, after so much time traveling and apart. And I look forward to returning and leading Simply Smiles into the future, after my sabbatical, in the fall.
With my deepest thanks,
Please note: Bryan will not be monitoring his email during his sabbatical. All inquiries should be sent to alex@simplysmiles.org