Dear Supporters,

Serving as the Executive Director of Invisible Children for the last ten years has been one of the most tremendous honors of my life. I am humbled to have had such an amazing opportunity to support our mission of bringing a permanent end to LRA violence. Every day I worked for Invisible Children, I was surrounded by immense creativity, intelligence, determination and the unwavering belief that a group of committed global citizens can change the world.

As I reflect on my ten-year journey, I realize there comes a time in every leader’s life when they must pass the torch on in order to keep the flame burning brightly. The time for me to do that has come, and it is with great pleasure that I announce Lisa Dougan as Invisible Children’s new President and CEO. Lisa has been with us since 2006 and I cannot think of anyone more capable or qualified to powerfully lead the team and push our mission forward than her.

Lisa Dougan and Ben Keesey with US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power.

As for me personally, I will be taking some time off to reflect on the lessons-learned from my own experience before deciding on my “next big thing.” But no matter what my next venture is, I will continue to support Invisible Children as Chair of the Board of Directors.

I know I speak for Lisa and the rest of the team when I say that we cannot adequately express the depth of our respect and appreciation for you and your partnership in this incredible journey. Thank you for your friendship and for the fingerprint you’ve already left on this mission. But, our journey is not over, and there is one thing I know for certain: none of Invisible Children’s work would be possible without you.  

As I step away from the role of President, I’m excited to join you as a fellow volunteer and supporter. Together we will champion Invisible Children’s mission by contributing our time, our talent and our resources to ending LRA violence. Let’s work hand-in-hand until every single man, woman and child is free from the LRA.

And now I will officially pass the torch to Lisa as she leads the team and our mission across the finish line.

A MESSAGE FROM LISA

Together in solidarity,

Ben