After 27 impactful years on Chrysalis’ Board of Directors, Tim Dubois retired from the Board at the end of 2020. We asked Tim to reflect on his time at Chrysalis and are so pleased to share his thoughts with you. Thank you, Tim, for your service and support. While you are no longer on the Board, you will always be a part of the Chrysalis family.
Chrysalis: What first brought you to the Chrysalis Board of Directors?
Tim: It was mostly serendipity that brought me to Chrysalis. Back in 1992, I was talking to a friend, Martin Early, about a hotel in Santa Monica my business partners and I were developing, Shutters on the Beach. I was concerned about homelessness in the area of our development and was asking if he had any suggestions for what could be done to mitigate the situation.
Martin told me he was on the Board of a young organization that was working in Downtown LA to address this serious problem. He explained that this organization, Chrysalis, had a very smart model for helping people out of homelessness permanently and breaking the cycle of poverty by finding them jobs. Chrysalis was in the early stages of their development and were considering opening an office in Santa Monica. Martin saw the mutually beneficial opportunity for us to help each other. A few months later, I was fortunate to be asked to join the Board of Directors.
Chrysalis: Do you have a favorite memory from your time on the Board?
Tim: There are countless moments and memories that I cherish from my time assisting the team at Chrysalis – many that have been personally enriching to me over the years. One meeting comes to mind as a particularly profound moment. Today Chrysalis is blessed with having many friends and benefactors that recognize and support Chrysalis’ mission. In the early days of Chrysalis, this was certainly not the case, and we continually struggled to make ends meet. At one particularly difficult moment, the Board was considering how to deal with the latest financial crisis.
Chrysalis had opened an office in Pacoima, and like most Angelenos, Pacoima was a city that was easy for me to ignore. The issue before the Board that evening was whether we should close the Pacoima Office. Closing was clearly the right “business decision.” Mark Loranger was not the President of Chrysalis at that time, but he was the Head of Operations, and he asked if he could address the Board. Speaking for the entire Staff of Chrysalis, Mark reminded us that places like Pacoima are exactly where Chrysalis needs to be. Cities like Pacoima are where Chrysalis can make a profound impact for those most in need. The Board and the staff did the right thing that evening. The staff tightened already tight budgets, and we all dug deep and pitched in the needed funds. Pacoima stayed open that night and is open today.
Chrysalis: How many years did you host the staff party at Shutters and Hotel Casa del Mar?
Tim: Our relationship with Chrysalis has been a truly rewarding partnership for all of us at the Edward Thomas Collection of Hotels. For over 25 years, we have been fortunate to host numerous events on behalf of Chrysalis. It has been our way of saying thank you to the wonderful staff at Chrysalis, who are the true heroes. ETC Hotels’ support has also been by hiring many Chrysalis clients.
Chrysalis: What does being a part of the Chrysalis family mean to you?
Tim: Being a part of the Chrysalis family has been truly a privilege for me. I believe that every board member feels that way because we can actually see how we are changing people’s lives for the better. We have been able to see that every day. Anyone who works with or supports Chrysalis can truly participate in not only transforming one person’s life but the lives of an entire community.
I have learned that you cannot generalize about homelessness. This is an organization that puts a human face on the homeless situation. Each person’s story is unique, whether it is drug abuse, domestic violence, or trouble with the law, every person’s story is different. There is a human being behind each difficult tale and that is what drives the Chrysalis family.
What is also genuinely amazing is that Chrysalis has been changing lives for more than a quarter of a century. In that time, Chrysalis has gone from a small start-up to a multimillion-dollar operation, and yet it has maintained its strong culture and core values. It is not easy to do that and to also take a solid and consistent business approach to a difficult social issue. For whatever small part I may have played in all of that, I am grateful.