Women's Shelter and Support names new Executive Director
The Women’s Shelter and Support Center (WSSC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Artyce Thomas will join the WSSC staff as executive director, effective Aug. 26.
Thomas has more than 18-years of experience in developing and managing services provided for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and for immigrant and refugee communities. She has served as executive director at the Women’s Help Center, a domestic violence non-profit in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and at the Pennsylvania Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Network, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to these leadership positions, Thomas has served as a principal advisor to various community boards focusing on poverty, homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault.
According to Gail Sauter, WSSC Board President, the board of directors is impressed with Thomas’s management skills and extensive knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault, including the effects of domestic violence on children.
“We are very excited to welcome Artyce and to introduce her to community members throughout the region that the WSSC serves,” says Sauter. “Artyce has an exceptional depth of experience in the field of domestic violence. We believe that her leadership, energy and sensitivity will be an asset to the WSSC and to the individuals and families we serve. We are confident that together, Artyce and the caring, experienced WSSC staff will help sustain quality programs, support strong working relationships with community partners, and help our organization grow and reach additional individuals who need our services.”
Thomas shared her commitment to her new position, "I've been blessed throughout my career to have worked with and garnered knowledge from some of the strongest and most passionate women in the field of domestic violence, and I anticipate that the staff at Rochester’s Women's Shelter and Support Center and associated locations throughout SE Minnesota will be no exception to that. I've also been fortunate enough to work in and become part of some of the most amazing and heartwarming communities, which I'm certain I will find in Rochester as well. To have been selected to lead such a wonderful organization that has become so much of the fabric of the community is an honor, and I'm looking forward to connecting and collaborating with community leaders to further enhance the mission of Women's Shelter and Support Center."
About the WSSC
The WSSC vision is “for women, individuals and families to have the freedom and dignity to live safely in our communities.” This non-profit organization has served the region since its incorporation in 1978 and provides a 24/7 presence in the community. Today, the WSSC provides services to domestic abuse victims in a 10-county area in southeastern Minnesota. Services provided by the WSSC include: emergency shelter and other forms of supportive housing; community outreach; a 24-hour crisis line; community advocacy services; support and information groups, and a resource center. In 2018, WSSC provided nearly 12,000 services to individuals in our region.