A Personal Message from Owen Ryan
Dear friends,
After five years as President & CEO at Project Angel Heart, it is with mixed emotions that I share I’ll be leaving the organization on November 30th to run a health and human rights program that works to advance the lives of LGBTQ people internationally.
When Trevor and I moved to Colorado in 2019, I never imagined I’d work for an organization that would so fundamentally change my perspective on the world.
You, our volunteers, supporters, and friends, deliver an incredible act of grace every single week. No matter what is happening in the world or in your lives, you show up to share comfort and compassion with people you may never meet. You do this purely out of the belief that we are put here to make the world a better place than we found it. And week after week, that’s exactly what you do.
Over thirty years, you’ve chopped, prepared, packaged, donated, decorated, and delivered meals across thousands of miles in rain, snow, and heat. And on the other side, a life was changed, a family comforted. Through COVID and the loss of our good friend Chef Brandon, I drew strength from your example. The magic of what happens at Project Angel Heart every week is a demonstration of our capacity for good.
What this team has accomplished – with you – is extraordinary. Our medically tailored meals, once available only in Metro Denver and Colorado Springs, are now shipped or delivered anywhere in Colorado. By the end of this year, home-delivered meals will be available across the Front Range, from Fort Collins to Pueblo. Our nutrition team has grown to provide hands-on counseling to every client. And now, we’re bringing our partners together under the banner of the Colorado Food is Medicine Summit to chart a course for better health in our communities statewide.
I’m stepping away knowing the organization is in exceptional hands. I’m grateful that Rich Martinez, our chief financial officer, has agreed to serve as interim CEO while the board of directors opens a search for the next CEO. Rich is supported by two dynamic leaders, Andrea Pacheco, our chief development officer, and Kate Johnston, our chief operating officer, along with a seasoned and dedicated staff.
The good work continues. Thank you for letting me join your journey for a while.
With gratitude,
Owen Ryan
President & CEO