Dr. David Eisen Retirement Announcement

To My Quest Community,

I have been thinking about this letter for quite some time. After traveling last month to spend time with my family, I found myself reflecting deeply on my life, my work, and the extraordinary journey I have had at Quest.

After almost 21 years as Executive Director of Quest, I am ready to retire.

I have been contemplating this decision for more than a year. Saying those words aloud is both incredibly difficult and, in some ways, peaceful. Quest has been such a profound part of my life that it is hard to imagine my days without it. I have poured my heart, my blood, and my soul into this organization, and I will miss it terribly.

When I accepted the position of Executive Director nearly 21 years ago, I told the then Board Chair, Julie Weis, that I would give it nine months. Well… I was wrong.

At the time, Quest was a very different organization. We had six contract workers providing mental health and medical services. There was no alcohol and drug program, no housing program or housing portfolio, no development and communications department, no HR department, no WISH program, and no WOW program.

What followed was one of the greatest privileges of my life.

Together, we built the Quest we know now.

Today, Quest owns its headquarters as well as one of our alcohol- and drug-free homes. We have built a system of community care; created programs, partnerships, infrastructure, and opportunities that simply did not exist when I arrived.

There is so much to be proud of. And yet, when I think about these nearly 21 years, what I am most grateful for is not the buildings, programs, or accomplishments. It is the people.

None of this could have happened without the extraordinary people who have walked alongside me. I have been incredibly fortunate to work with teammates who believed in the mission, believed in our community, and believed that we could build something better.

I especially want to recognize Danielle Deer, who has been one of the key operational arms behind so much of what we have created together. I am excited for her to step into the role of Interim Executive Director.

My years at Quest have also given me opportunities to advocate beyond our organization and for the larger community we serve. For nearly 40 years, I have had the honor of serving communities through public health — working to expand access and equity for people who have too often been marginalized by the dominant systems around them. It has truly been an honor to use whatever skills, voice, and position I have had to make a difference.

And we have certainly been tested. Together, we navigated COVID and its extraordinary challenges. We responded to profound political and social upheaval, threats to reproductive and health care rights, escalating attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, and the erosion of voting rights. Through all of it, Quest continued to adapt, pivot, advocate, and care.

I know I could go on and on. Those who know me know that I certainly could.

But I will not. Instead, I will simply say thank you.

Thank you to every person who has believed in Quest.

Thank you to every person who has opened a door, offered a hand, challenged us to do better, stood beside us when things were difficult, or celebrated with us when we succeeded.

Thank you to the staff who have given so much of themselves to this work.

Thank you to our community partners, supporters, advocates, board members, funders, volunteers, and friends.

And thank you to the people and communities we have had the privilege to serve. You have been at the center of this work from the beginning, and you are the reason it has mattered so much.

I leave with a very full heart, an immense sense of gratitude, and tremendous pride in what we have built together.

It has been an extraordinary journey. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it.

With much gratitude,

Peace

Dr. David Eisen, L.AC., MSW, OMD(AM)