Transitioning to New Leadership

As I transition out of the Executive Director role at PEPY after nearly six years in Cambodia, I feel so lucky to be leaving our organization in the hands of such a talented team. Last June, when I first met Dr. Layheng Ting, I immediately knew that we had found PEPY’s new director. Great people help us attract more great people, and sure enough, Layheng’s presence on our team has already brought us additional talented staff members. We recently welcomed Samal Khath onto our Senior Management Team. Samal comes to us with over 16 years of experience working in education, the majority of the time with CARE and with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport in Ratanakiri province.
I often wonder how we have gotten so lucky to have such talented people on our team. Perhaps it was our sheer unwillingness to settle during our multi-year search for new Cambodian leadership at PEPY. Or maybe it is the dedication of all of the 45+ PEPY staff members that continues to attract great talent. Perhaps the commitment and dedication of the communities with which we partner are the main draw. No matter what combination of luck, determination, inspiration, and/or magic has brought this team together, I’m grateful!
Layheng has been with us since February 2011 and beginning June 1st she will take over as the Executive Director of PEPY, while I will transition into a role on the Board of Directors. She, Samal, and a new Operations Officer will make up PEPY’s new Senior Management Team. While I will no longer be involved in the day-to-day work of PEPY, I’m delighted to be a part of the board and am still committed to gathering the support this team needs to make that vision a reality. It is exciting to see PEPY move into a new phase of growth and development.
This is not really “goodbye” from me, as I’ll be around Siem Reap on and off until late August before moving to the UK to attend graduate school in the fall. As we are an education organization, it’s only fitting that I leave to go continue my own learning! During the next few months, I’ll be participating in PEPY’s strategic planning process which will culminate in a management retreat in early August. I’m sure the PEPY team will continue to update you with our concrete goals for the coming years as well as our plan for how to get there and how we will measure our impact along the way.
In the meantime, thank you to all who have supported our work at PEPY for the last six years. It is exciting to be stepping down as Executive Director as I know I am leaving this organization in more capable hands than my own. I am, like many of you, eager to support PEPY’s new team members as they continue to empower people to achieve their goals through outstanding education.
I have written a list of 20 of the countless things I have learned during my time at PEPY. Please add your own if you feel compelled!
Read on for more about what we have been up to this month, and please continue to ask questions, write comments, and follow up with us!
Many thanks,
Daniela Papi & The PEPY Team