After 21 years with Act Six and more than a decade with Degrees of Change, founder Tim Herron will be formally stepping away from Degrees of Change in February. His last day will be at the in-person Seed Internships Interview event on February 17.
Tim is a visionary leader who relentlessly pursues dreams and makes them come true, from conceptualizing innovative programs to using his tech skills to design state-of-the-art tools for Degrees of Change. Over the decades, he has constantly learned and led for the good of our organization. A wise mentor and role model, he has an exceptional ability to recognize the potential in individuals and has dedicated a huge portion of his life to believing in and nurturing the growth of students, staff, and the community.
In 2002, Tim launched our flagship leadership development and college scholarship program, Act Six. He established Degrees of Change as a new nonprofit organization in 2011 to continue the program’s expansion. To support college students in achieving career readiness, Seed Internships was launched in 2019, and Seed Teachers was launched last year. Together, Degrees of Change and our programs have served over 1,500 students through college and career, and we are still growing.
Tim with the first Act Six graduates from PLU in 2012.
Staff describe Tim as having an outstanding ability to make people feel seen and heard; someone who intentionally created an organization with not only program participants in mind, but also the health and well-being of the employees. He is reliable and trustworthy, someone who shows up through thick and thin. He also has a wonderful sense of humor, helping staff find joy in everyday moments and reminding the team to let go and laugh even when the work is hard.
For his part, Tim said:
“Over these many years, I simply cannot imagine a more meaningful or fulfilling job. What an incredible blessing it’s been to support and walk with hundreds of amazing, passionate emerging leaders who have and continue to change their communities and the world for the better. And it has been just as much a blessing to work alongside some of the most brilliant, passionate, committed, and fun(ny) colleagues one could ever hope to find.”
“I am confident that Degrees of Change is positioned to thrive into the future. Our CEO transition has gone incredibly well, we’ve just adopted a new strategic plan, and our partners are engaging eagerly with our new programmatic vision.”
We at Degrees of Change are so grateful for Tim Herron’s incredible vision and legacy of innovation, mentorship, care, humor, and unfailing generosity of time and energy. He will be sorely missed, but his indelible legacy will continue to live on, inspire us, and carry us forward through many decades to come.
Tim at the Act Six 20th Anniversary Convention, 2022, Tacoma, Washington. (Photo by Sharon Ho Chang)
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