Organization Development Network

OD Network Losses A Great Spirit, Colleague, and Friend

Nicholas Corne, Director of Finance and Operations

It is with great sorrow that I share with you that Randi Rosenberg passed away peacefully in her sleep at St. Vincent’s hospital in New York City the morning of February 15th from cancer-related complications.

Randi’s contributions to the OD Network and the field of OD were numerous. She began working with us as the driving marketing force for Conference in 2004. It was with her strong contributions that we started seeing a resurgence in the attendance of Conference 2005, membership, and the awareness of the field that continues to this day. As the Director of Conference Sponsor and Exhibitors, she helped a great cast of organizations find the value in the OD Network as an outlet to showcase their products and services.

The contributions Randi made to the Network are just a small part of her story. As a breast cancer survivor in her early-30s, Randi was a founding-member of the Young Survival Coalition, and worked closely with Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, as a member of the Youth Adult Alliance Steering Committee. Her story was an inspiration to many young survivors as shared by the American Cancer Society , CureToday.com, Livestrong, and many others. Randi was also adjunct faculty at New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management.

I had the opportunity to first meet Randi in 2002 when I began volunteering for the Network. Her sense of purpose, clarity in her work, and commitment are still an inspiration and driving force in my own work to this day.

Although small in stature, Randi’s personality was larger than life. I’m truly honored to have called her a friend professionally and personally. Eight years of conversations, laughter, and mutual-support have certainly left their mark. For those fortunate enough to share their life with Randi, the absence of her radiance, intelligence, style, flair, and strength will leave a great void, but the wisdom and lessons learned will live on in our lives and in our work.

Randi is survived by her amazing partner, Matt Purdue, and her incredibly beautiful and vibrant daughter Alexandra. Matt and Alexandra are in our thoughts and prayers as well as her family and the many people whom Randi has touched. A spirit like Randi’s will surely live on.

Diversity & Inclusion:
A Statement by the OD Network Board of Trustees

January 2008

The Board of Trustees of the Organization Development Network makes the following statement:

1. Understanding and addressing issues of diversity, inclusion, privilege, and access are inherent to OD practice in the 21st century.
2. OD practitioners should be able to recognize the dynamics of marginalization, exclusion, and oppression. They should understand how those dynamics can be internalized as individual beliefs and institutionalized in a system.
3. There are a range of orientations and approaches to diversity and inclusion, and the Board does not endorse one over another. However, practitioners should be conscious of the options before they choose a particular approach.

Given this statement, the OD Network will pursue an agenda that attends to diversity, inclusion, and access. Diversity and inclusion are one of the board's three strategic goals in support of our efforts to be a leader in advancing the theory and practice of organization development.

Email the board

Strategic Goals

The board of trustees has announced three strategic goals that are important to providing direction to and strengthening our intent to be a leader in advancing the theory and practice of OD.

1. Define the practice of organization development according to the OD Network
1. Catalog the actions of organization development
2. Map the network of related fields
3. Describe synergies with related fields
4. Articulate the value to potential users
2. Be a “network of networks;” an attractor of new ideas; a dynamic organization that generates, socializes and accelerates new ideas
1. Create a supportive and professional organization in which diverse people thrive
2. Harness the power of new technologies
3. Support processes that reach out and engage new voices
4. Sponsor platforms for divergent and innovative points of view
3. Accelerate progress on diversity and inclusion; create momentum and a call-to-action
1. Make a simple, public statement by the board about the OD Network’s beliefs and intent
2. Put our beliefs and intent into practice in the running of the organization, the creation of policy and the monitoring of the OD Network’s activities
3. Catalyze, facilitate and encourage conversations about diversity and inclusion in the formal OD Network, on our website, at the conference, in the board and with our partners.