Today, on behalf of the Board of the Estonian Relief Committee, I regretfully announce the retirement of Einar Medri, who has been the Chief Executive Officer of Ehatare for the past six years. We do this with mixed feelings. On the one hand, Einar will be off to enjoy a much deserved break from his labours. On the other hand, we will miss his leadership at Ehatare.
Though I have been the Chairman of the Board for only a year, I will miss Einar for the sage advice and wise counsel he has given to me in this time. As Einar departs, cooperation between the Board and the CEO has never been stronger. The Board would like to highlight Einar’s vision and work towards transforming Ehatare into a boutique retirement home that has resulted in larger, beautifully renovated rooms and suites. Thanks to Einar’s leadership in the renovation project, Ehatare has become a place where our seniors want to come and live. We now have a waiting list for the newly renovated rooms and suites. I also want to point out Einar’s strong support of Estonian culture at Ehatare. Finally, Einar has assembled a great leadership team who, I am confident, will continue to do a great job for Ehatare in the future.
As all of you no doubt know, the province has been under a state of emergency in the past four months due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. And you will know that this cruel virus has hit senior citizens the hardest, particularly those at retirement and nursing homes. Some of the nursing homes in the Greater Toronto Area have suffered greatly as a result. As of the time I write this letter, Ehatare has been spared the potential ravages of this awful virus. Everybody in our community owes a profound debt of gratitude to Einar, as well as his staff and employees, for making this possible. During this crisis, Einar has been consistently pro-active, always looking for new ways that Ehatare could be better prepared, and always coming up with newer and better contingency plans. It is no exaggeration to say that the past four months have been the most challenging in Ehatare’s history. Thank you, Einar, for the leadership you have shown in this crisis.
As a result of Einar’s retirement, the Estonian Relief Committee has begun a search for a new executive director of Ehatare. We hope to have this person in place by September of this year. Though the details haven’t been fixed, we hope to keep Einar on as a special projects manager for Ehatare.
In summary, the board wishes you the best in your well-deserved retirement Einar. You deserve the break.
Sincerely,
Markus Alliksaar
Chairman of the Board
Estonian Relief Committee in Canada
I am today announcing my decision to begin the process of transitioning to retirement. After joining Ehatare as CEO nearly 6 years ago, I had expectations, but little did I know what a wonderful, [i]challenging[/i] and fulfilling role it would be.
The hallmarks of wonderful include an unprecedented opportunity to apply all of my lifelong management experience in a unique environment where service to our beloved Residents and the Community in which we operate has included working with quality staff, board directors, other volunteers, and key suppliers. This has been a united effort to enrich the lives of our Residents and their loved ones in ways impossible to understand without having been privileged to be part of the Ehatare family.
Who would have thought challenging would include the still emerging story of COVID-19, and how it has fundamentally tested the very best in all of us. In an environment where many individuals and Homes have been negatively affected, I am so grateful to all my staff who have played a vital and sacrificial role in being able thus far to keep the scourge of COVID away from our Nursing and Retirement Homes. This is something we are all thankful for, and I hope part of a lasting legacy for the Ehatare Community to take note of how important and credible Ehatare continues to be to our present and future generations of Estonian heritage Residents.
Fulfilling includes watching our Leadership and Staff be able to change direction, work differently yet together as a Team, be willing to recommit daily to serve our Residents, and achieve excellent outcomes. Of equal importance is a sense that we have firmly begun and advanced the necessary revitalization and changes that will be essential for Ehatare to remain relevant in the future for many people, including myself, who are getting ever closer to being future Ehatare residents.
The list of people deserving thanks are too long to list here, but let me take this opportunity to specifically thank all of the Residents and family members I have been able to serve. I will never forget or undervalue the incredible trust and prayers that the Residents extended immediately upon arrival and throughout my tenure. They gave me incredible motivation, wisdom and confidence to move bravely into the future knowing that the Residents were always supportive and understanding of what we tried to achieve on both their behalf, as well as future Residents.
I am confident that Ehatare has an exciting future ahead and would urge our Community to do more in terms of supporting Ehatare’s continuing future plans and related needs.
Einar Medri, CEO
Ehatare / Estonian Relief Committee in Canada
