November 22, 2013 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Paul Schmitz, chief executive of Public Allies, a national organization that grooms young social-change leaders, announced today that he is stepping down from his post.
Mr. Schmitz, who has been with the organization for 21 years and led it for the past 13, made the announcement that he will give up his CEO role next year in a joint statement with Kanwar Singh, the group’s board chair.
“During these past two decades, I have felt lucky and blessed to participate in the development of over 5,000 diverse young leaders who’ve turned their passion to make a difference into careers working for community and social change,” said Mr. Schmitz in a written statement. “There is nothing that gives me more pride than to see the continued leadership of our alumni and their impact in our communities.”
Inspired by Public Allies’ co-founder, Vanessa Kirsch, Mr. Schmitz started the group’s Milwaukee chapter when he was, as he described in his statement, “a 23-year-old college student, gardener, and telemarketer at an insurance agency.” He is leaving, he said, because “I decided it is a good time in Public Allies’ life cycle and in my own career for a change.” He added that he has not yet decided on his next move.
He will continue to lead the organization, which is working with a search firm to fill his job, until his successor is hired, he said in his statement.
Mr. Singh, Public Allies’ board chair, praised the departing executive in a statement: “We will have big shoes to fill. Paul has been instrumental in developing Public Allies’ leadership philosophy and values.”
Public Allies has 23 chapters around the nation.
Mr. Schmitz is author of Everyone Leads: Building Leadership From the Community Up. He has long been an outspoken proponent of greater diversity in nonprofit leadership. Among his organization’s alumni: first lady Michelle Obama, who was the founding chief executive of the Public Allies Chicago chapter.
This article has been corrected from an earlier version that misstated Mr. Schmitz’s involvement in the founding of Public Allies and the length of his tenure as its leader.
