API Wellness Center CEO Wins Sabbatical Grant

The CEO of the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center in San Francisco has won a sabbatical grant and plans to take a temporary leave from the nonprofit agency later this year.

Lance Toma, whose previous job title as executive director was recently changed, was among six other leaders of Bay Area nonprofits awarded an O2 Sabbatical Award by O2 Initiatives. Begun in 2014, the awards are given to "exceptional leaders" of nonprofit agencies in San Francisco and Alameda counties.

According to O2 Initiatives, each year it plans to hand out up to six awards, which come with $40,000 for the awardee's organization toward the cost of a three-month sabbatical. An additional $3,000 stipend is given to the agency to cover the cost of hiring an interim leader (or leadership team) during the executive director's absence.

O2 Initiatives also offers coaching in partnership with CompassPoint and, at the request of award winners, may also grant up to $7,500 to pay for ongoing professional development at their nonprofit. The money is meant to help the agency start a Staff Professional Development Fund that would be an ongoing line item in its budget.

"The stresses and demands of nonprofit leadership can take a toll on even the most energetic of executive directors. Intellectual, creative, emotional, and physical burnout pose a risk to the health of these individuals and the organizations they lead," states O2 Initiatives on its website. "A sabbatical rejuvenates these individuals so they may return to their organizations with renewed vigor and perspective."

In the last two years several leaders of LGBT nonprofits have taken sabbaticals after leading their agencies for prolonged terms. Some have returned to their jobs, while others opted to resign.

Masen Davis left the Transgender Law Center, as did Carolyn Laub from the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. Positive Resource Center Executive Director Brett Andrews and Our Family Coalition Executive Director Judy Appel both returned.

Toma, who will mark his 10th anniversary leading API Wellness Center this fall, intends to begin his sabbatical sometime after October. The award stipulates his leave must begin no later than January 1, 2017.

Once complete Toma intends to return to leading the agency, which provides various health services to LGBT people as well as straight clients, many of whom are people of color who live in the city's Polk Gulch and Tenderloin neighborhoods.

"I'm fully committed to leading API Wellness Center toward our long-term vision of health, wellness, and equality for everyone, especially people of color and the LGBTQ community. I'm taking the sabbatical to support myself and my organization in building the resilience, sustainability, and capacity to meet this goal now and into the future," Toma told the Bay Area Reporter. "In fact, the point of the O2 Initiatives program is to ensure nonprofit leaders stay in their roles. I am not leaving API Wellness Center. I am definitely returning after my sabbatical."

During his three-month absence, the agency as of now plans for its chief financial officer, Yvonne Watson, and chief medical officer, Dr. Tri Do, to fill in for Toma.

"Our executive leadership team and the organization will take advantage of executive coaching and sabbatical planning support from CompassPoint prior to the start of the sabbatical period to ensure we are prepared to lead in Lance's absence," agency spokeswoman Stephanie Goss told the B.A.R.