The Next Best Thing

Photo caption (clockwise): Keven Ambrus, Mary Nehring, Amanda Duhon, and Elizabeth Appel at a staff celebration in early 2020. 

Please join me in wishing my friend and colleague, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Propel, Keven Ambrus, all the best as he begins the next chapter of his career by joining Meda, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, as the Vice President of Finance & IT. It isn’t common practice for me to write a public note like this for an outgoing colleague, but something we do often at Propel is celebrate “mission moments” – moments when we’ve met our mission, and our vision feels closer. Keven’s departure to Meda is a mission moment for me and for Propel as an organization, even if it is a bittersweet one.  

For context, Propel has not been exempt from the “great resignation” that has seen millions of workers leaving the workforce or finding new careers. Over the past two years, like almost all organizations, we have been reimaging programming and organizational culture. Since 2020 we’ve said goodbye to and welcomed staff in over 10 of our positions. Turnover is a natural part of working that can be difficult to navigate – you always hope people are leaving your organization for the next best thing in their careers. I am excited that Keven’s departure to a position he is so uniquely qualified for feels this way.  Knowing that his three years at Propel contributed to his readiness for his new position makes it even sweeter.  

In his message to our staff announcing his departure, he said: 

If you have had the pleasure of working with Keven or attending one of his training sessions, you know he is passionate about finance in a way that makes others excited about it, too. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience make him a great fit for his new role at Meda, an organization that works to create thriving communities through equal economic participation. Their mission is to help BIPOC entrepreneurs succeed. I believe Keven’s knowledge of CDFIs and finance and his approach to leadership will contribute to their mission. 

Keven’s last day at Propel is Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Never one to sit back, you’ll be able to find him at Meda starting the next week.  Thanks for your partnership and all the lessons you’ve taught us, Keven!  We’ll miss having you as a Propeller!