Welcome, scott!: Sadd's new executive director

Hello SADD Nation,

I hope this message finds you well. We are thrilled to announce a significant change in the leadership at Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). After an extensive search, we are pleased to introduce our new Executive Director, Scott Myers.

Scott brings a wealth of experience and passion to SADD, having spent over 20 years in the nonprofit space. The vast majority of Scott’s experience has been in various leadership roles, advancing mission-oriented organizations through strategic fundraising and communications strategies and building collaborative community partnerships while engaging stakeholders. Scott began his career in youth development, including being a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) for residential and outpatient youth treatment centers, and has worked for small and large, local, national, and international nonprofits, most recently as Chief Development and Communications Officer for Engineers Without Borders USA. He holds a master’s degree and several certificates and credentials, including being a certified nonprofit professional (CNP).

Not only is Scott passionate about education, mental health awareness, and helping to create and mentor the next generation of leaders, but he also believes in being active in the community, which sees him dedicating his time to several nonprofit and community boards, such as the Advocacy Council for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Central Arkansas, his undergraduate alma mater, and the Advisory Board for the National Parents Organization. A proud and active dad to three daughters and a resident of Saint Charles, Missouri, he enjoys family time with his wife and kids, golfing, skiing, and cheering on his favorite sports teams. We are confident that Scott’s leadership will help advance SADD's mission and achieve our goals.

We want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all the SADD staff for their exceptional dedication and hard work over the last nine months of this transition period. Their contributions have been invaluable.

As we transition to this new leadership, we've remained committed to empowering young people to make positive, lifesaving decisions. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to continuing our work together.

Scott will officially assume his role as Executive Director on January 16th, 2024. We encourage you to contact him at smyers@sadd.org to introduce yourselves and discuss potential collaborations.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership with SADD. Together, we will continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people across the country.

Warm regards,

Jessica Hugdahl

Interim Executive

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SADD sincerely thanks Jessica for her unwavering dedication to this organization and the countless sacrifices she made to serve as the Interim Executive for the last 10 months. In her over 25 years of service, Jessica has held almost every role in this organization. She has excelled as Interim Executive in the most incredible ways, leading our staff and students through various large and small transitions in the last year. Thank you, Jessica, from the entire SADD network. We appreciate you beyond measure.