When Shannon Spencer told me in mid-December that she was considering leaving API to become the director of spiritual life at Warren Wilson College, I was both excited for the new possibility for her while at the same time sad about the prospect of losing her leadership. As a longtime friend and clergy colleague of Shannon, I was part of the early days of API, when Shannon would pick up Indian food and serve it on the picnic tables at Pisgah View. Seeing food as a way to bring people together — as a way to celebrate the abundance we have all around us — Shannon worked to make 12 Baskets Café a reality. Based on a model from Union Seminary in New York, the poverty education program began as a way to center voices of those living in poverty, helping people in our community understand the complexities and root causes of poverty. As the founding executive director of API, Shannon helped to birth a community based on the values of equality, justice and abundance.

Over the past several months I have come to realize that Shannon is irreplaceable. Her love, energy and vision are gifts to be celebrated, and we know she is already doing great work in the Warren Wilson community. Over the last several months I have also come to realize that the API/12 Baskets community has never been about one person. If Shannon taught us anything, it is the power of community and the abundance we all share. I have witnessed how our community (volunteers, companions, and staff) continues to show up for one another as we carry on our mission of radical hospitality and transformative education. Though our operations have shifted during the pandemic, we continue to feed those hungry for food as well as those hungry for community. On behalf of the board, I thank all of you for the part you play in making a difference for good in our community.

Some background about our current search for a co-director: Coming off the strategic plan we finished at the end of 2020, the board adopted a co-director model for API’s leadership going forward. We decided to adopt this model for several reasons. First, we believe that the co-director model is congruent with our core values, and that a non-hierarchical approach to leadership is what fits our culture. Thanks to Shannon’s leadership, the API/12 Baskets community cares for one another. We believe Emily Fox is the right person to lead us as one of our co-directors. Having been with us for several years as she finished her master’s degree in social work, Emily has the head and the heart to move us into our next chapter. She embodies the spirit we think is needed for shared and collaborative leadership.

While we are seeking a second co-director who has a passion for justice and is able to provide spiritual care, we know that this person will play an important role in empowering others to serve and educate and do the work of API. We are in the process of interviewing candidates for co-director, and we are encouraged by the quality of applicants. While it's realistic to think we will complete our search by summer, our goal is to find the right person for the job and to be thoughtful and intentional in the process of discernment. You will be among the first to hear our announcement whenever it comes!

On behalf of the board and the co-director hiring committee, thank you for your continued support for the mission of API.

Sincerely,
Michael

API Board Members:
TJ Amos
Samantha Gonzalez-Block
Missy Harris
Phil Leonard, Treasurer
Michael Poulos, Chair
Kim Wells
Betsy Wilson, Secretary

API Hiring Committee:
Emily Fox
Phil Leonard
Anne Leventer
Michael Poulos
Kim Wells

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