Silence as a Comms Strategy is not just inadequate, it is harmful.
The following is an email to the Pillar Board of Directors on the recent firing of Pillar Non-Profit CEO/President Mojdeh Cox. See our blog post for more.
To the Pillar Nonprofit Network Board of Directors,
First I would like to say that I recognize that emailing multiple members of this board in this fashion is a little unorthodox - that being said - the way in which you as a board have made recent decisions is in itself unorthodox, and frankly, I have lost trust in this board and want to ensure that more than just the chair receives this message. I apologize for those that have been excluded, but rest assured I will ensure I share this message through other means.
For those that do not know me, my name is Sienna Jae Taylor. I am a previous employee of Pillar having worked on a short-term contract from December 2014 - June 2015. I then accepted a new position at Pillar and worked with the team for three years from 2016 - 2019. When I left Pillar I continued to support the organization through volunteerism and as a member through the Southdale Education Fund. I am extremely passionate about the work that Pillar does, I believe in the mission and the team that brings Pillar's vision to life everyday. I believe that Pillar plays an essential role not just in the nonprofit sector, but in the community at large. And so you can imagine my extreme disappointment, shock, confusion and anger around Mojdeh Cox's departure and the board's handling of this decision.
Mojdeh brought with her a renewed energy, a boldness so desperately needed in our sector and at Pillar, and an unapologetic approach to radical honesty, transparency and accountability.
Pillar is a leader in this community and because of the position, this organization holds I have always held them to a high standard. This is not to say that the organization cannot fall and fail - but like many others in this community, I expect Pillar to own its mistakes, learn with and from the community, and continue to do better than they have done before. This is what it means to be a leader. And this brings me to the decision this board recently made to fire Mojdeh Cox.
First I want to say that hiring Mojdeh Cox was an incredible choice on the part of the hiring committee at Pillar. Throughout the past few years the needs of the community have changed. We have moved beyond the idea of the nonprofit sector as simple do-gooders and moved into a space of radical change-making. With the impacts of a global pandemic, and all the inequities that surfaced as a result, to forests burning and the continuous murder of black people at the hands of the law, there was no denying that what we were doing was not enough. For those in social purpose work we needed to level up - and I truly believe that is what Pillar did in hiring Mojdeh.
I am not going to pretend to understand the exact reasons for the board's decision to dismiss Mojdeh. But I will say this, if you make the decision not to communicate with stakeholders, we are left only with our assumptions.
Mojdeh brought with her a renewed energy, a boldness so desperately needed in our sector and at Pillar, and an unapologetic approach to radical honesty, transparency and accountability. I cannot speak for Michelle Baldwin, Pillar's previous Executive Director, but one of the things I learned from Michelle is that leadership has to change at a certain point. She taught me that change was needed to ensure nonprofits did not become stagnant, to ensure that we are always working to create change, not maintain the status quo. I can't help but wonder if this board is truly mission and value aligned. I wonder if this board has what it takes to be a bold leader, and support a bold leader.
Was she too 'different' from what you had experienced before?[…] Difference is strength. Difference is power. Difference is what we need - not just in the nonprofit sector or in London, but in today's world.
I am not going to pretend to understand the exact reasons for the board's decision to dismiss Mojdeh. But I will say this, if you make the decision not to communicate with stakeholders, we are left only with our assumptions. If you haven't already seen this blog post by another previous staff member and volunteer, Samanta Krishnapillai, I encourage you to do so: Glass Ceiling, Glass Cliffs, and a Shard of Glass to the chest: Women in Leadership. It provides a very accurate picture of how the community is feeling right now.
So when I heard rumblings from friends that something was going on at Pillar, I genuinely didn’t think it would turn out to be that Mojdeh walked into a board meeting, was fired and then escorted out. I was even more surprised to receive a mass email from the board chair, after the news spread, announcing that she would no longer be in her role and that they “wished her well in her future endeavours”. Um…what? The email is written like it was Mojdeh’s choice, but we know she was fired.
[…] It looks like the Pillar Nonprofit Board fired the first woman of colour in the most senior leadership role. It looks like they wanted a woman of colour for the melanin in her skin so that Pillar is afforded her diversity clout, but wanted a leader that was willing to codeswitch and minimize her full self.
My assumption is that the board made this decision not because there was a legitimate reason, but because some of you simply did not like her style of communication, possibly her personality, or maybe there were feelings of uneasiness at being held accountable to the values that Pillar holds. Was it possible that she was too bold? Too innovative? Too passionate? Was she too 'different' from what you had experienced before? I think if given the opportunity to engage in the kind of learning that both Pillar and other members of the board offer, you might find that this 'difference' in leadership is exactly why we prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. Difference is strength. Difference is power. Difference is what we need - not just in the nonprofit sector or in London, but in today's world.
How does an organization that claims to be an expert and a leader in board governance move through this decision in this way? If this decision was legitimate and not made in haste, why were there no communications strategies in place? This is not good leadership.
Like I said - I won't pretend to understand the exact reasons for the board's decision to dismiss Mojdeh. And maybe the board feels justified in this decision. And this is where the shock value elevates.
How does an organization that claims to be an expert and a leader in board governance move through this decision in this way? If this decision was legitimate and not made in haste, why were there no communications strategies in place? This is not good leadership. This is not best practice in board governance. Need I remind the board that there are hundreds of individuals and organizations that look to Pillar as a leader - what story does this tell? What it tells me is that we as members, stakeholders and Londoners do not matter.
Not only this but there is a staff team left with little to no information, told to sit tight and keep their mouths shut. You have stripped them of their voice and their power within their organization. The email sent by the board chair was an insult to everyone that works hard to keep this mission alive - Pillar's work is not summed up by copying and pasting a mission from the website. Pillar is made up of people who believe so strongly in positive change in this community. They work harder than anyone I know and they do not deserve this. As a board you have shown poor leadership for the sector, the members and the individual people that make up the staff team.
Not only this but there is a staff team left with little to no information, told to sit tight and keep their mouths shut. You have stripped them of their voice and their power within their organization.
I recognize that this email may not be received well by some of you. But please know that I am a fierce supporter of Pillar and its mission and I am calling you in not out of spite, but because I believe in this organization. It was, after all, Pillar that taught me the importance of advocating for what is right.
I do not support your decision to dismiss Mojdeh from her role as Executive Director and I am deeply ashamed of the way in which the board has decided to navigate this situation.
As a member of Pillar Nonprofit Network I am calling on the board to apologize to stakeholders, donors, members, and most importantly the Pillar staff for the handling of this decision. And as is my right as a member I am calling on the board to call a general meeting of Members to discuss next steps:
Please note: ARTICLE 4 – MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERS 4.1 General Meeting The Board may at any time call a general meeting of the Members for the transaction of any business, the general nature of which is set out in the notice calling the meeting. A general meeting of Members may also be called at the request, in writing, of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Members.
Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Sienna is a nonprofit manager, community engagement specialist, and advocate for equity & inclusion
She graduated from Western University with an Honors BA in Anthropology and a Major in Sociology in 2013 and received her post-graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management in 2014.
Sienna began engaging in the nonprofit sector while she was in University. It was during this time that she was hit with the harsh reality that there are systemic inequities deeply embedded in our community. As someone with lived-experience of poverty, she questioned why she found herself on a stable path, while many of her peers were unable to overcome the systemic barriers that they faced. She decided that she needed to pursue a personal and professional journey that would work toward change.
In her ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Sienna has worked in a variety of roles including: Community Development, Volunteer Management, Fundraising, Events Management, Marketing/ Communications and Educational Programming. In her most recent role at Pillar Nonprofit Network, Sienna played an integral role in growth and development of London’s first social innovation shared space, Innovation Works. Through all of her roles, Sienna has developed her expertise in equity and inclusion, relationship & community building, and nonprofit education – all with the intent to create positive social change. Sienna is now working in the world of immigrant employment as a Project Manager for a social purpose organization serving southwestern Ontario.
In January of 2020, Sienna launched The Southdale Education Fund, a local initiative that seeks to alleviate the financial challenges of pursuing post-secondary education while living in poverty.
Sienna lives in London, Ontario Canada with her partner and her dog Jax, aka the Beast.
