After seven transformative years with Restorative Justice Project Maine, I will be retiring as Executive Director at the end of the year. The Board has convened a search committee to find my successor. These seven years with Restorative Justice Project Maine have been a time of personal and organizational growth, and it has been my honor to serve alongside you all.
While farewells are never easy, I feel the timing is right. We have experienced tremendous growth in the past year, and Restorative Justice Project Maine is in a strong position to enter a new chapter.
I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished in our time together. We expanded our youth harm repair services from four counties to ten, growing our reach and our capacity to promote restorative solutions across Maine. We launched a Justice System-Impacted Internship, a unique one-year professional development opportunity with fair wages and full benefits. Now in its second year, this grant-funded opportunity is proving transformational for both our interns and our organization. And our groundbreaking collaboration with the District VI Treatment Court, introducing restorative practices and mindsets in the treatment court setting, shows incredible promise as a catalyst for change in our state.
I want to thank the Board of Directors, staff members, volunteers, and community partners who have brought our mission to life through seven years of growth, challenge, and change. I will miss my colleagues and all the people who helped me along the way.
I am fortunate to end my career with such an amazing organization and to work alongside people who believe in restorative values and are true to the mission. I look forward to spending time with family and friends in retirement, and I look forward to all this next chapter holds for Restorative Justice Project Maine.
Sincerely,
Kathy
Kathy Durgin-Leighton
Executive Director
Restorative Justice Project Maine
“Elevating restorative justice impact across the state of Maine within communities and the courts has been a benchmark of Kathy’s many successes. Her powerful leadership and broad impact will be missed, and the Board of Directors wishes her the very best in her retirement from Restorative Justice Project Maine.” — Melissa Bellew, Board President