GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After three years at the helm of Catholic Charities West Michigan (CCWM) as president and CEO, Terry Walsh announced his resignation Saturday.
Walsh will become the new CEO and president of Catholic Charities Hawaii.
“It is with a heavy heart that I leave Catholic Charities West Michigan. Working side by side with Bishop (David) Walkowiak, the board of directors, staff and volunteers has been a privilege and an honor. I know the CCWM team will continue to work tirelessly to make a significant difference in the lives of those most in need throughout West Michigan. The clients we serve are God’s children and each individual person is treated with the love, dignity and respect they deserve,” Walsh said.
At CCWM, Walsh led a team of nearly 300 employees and thousands of volunteers providing 40 social service programs touching the lives of more than 24,000 individuals each year throughout West Michigan.
“Terry has guided Catholic Charities West Michigan with great compassion, empowering people to achieve their God-given potential,” said the Most Rev. David J. Walkowiak, bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. “Catholic Charities West Michigan is the heart and soul of the Catholic Church’s work in our community and I am grateful for the outstanding contributions of Terry and his team.”
CCWM provides counseling, adoption, foster care, family preservation and community outreach programs such as God’s Kitchen. Annual events include Let’s Go to Bat for Kids and Soup’s On for All.
“I have worked closely with Terry and have been impressed with the direction he has been moving our agency. He has worked hard to develop a strong leadership team that works in sync to deliver the much-needed services we offer in the communities we serve,” said Juan Salazar, CCWM board chairman.
Walsh is best known for creating the “3 C’s” (Compassion, Collaboration and Compliance) philosophy during his tenure. This philosophy transformed the way Catholic Charities West Michigan operated.
“The leadership and staff have embraced the values of the 3 C’s, improving the culture of the organization as well as the quality of services, and as a result, created measurably higher morale amongst the staff” Walsh said.
A national search for the next President and CEO of CCWM will commence during the coming weeks. Walsh will start his new position on Nov. 1.
