It's hard to imagine SCOPE without Maureen Hadden - and for good reason - Maureen was a part of SCOPE before the organization was created. Hired by Tim Dutton to provide administrative support for the non-profit Human Services Planning Association of Sarasota County Inc., Maureen helped in the transition when the HSPA became the new organization named SCOPE. Known for being a "quietly effective" administrator, Maureen wore many hats: bookkeeper, office manager, file guru, e-newsletter editor and as SCOPE evolved, she took on the role of coordinating the annual celebration and also became part of the community engagement team. 
  
I met Maureen in July of 2012, when I was invited to be a part of SCOPE's transition team, at a time when she was considering retirement. SCOPE Transition Team Leader Trish McConnell talked Maureen into continuing her important role - and thus I had the chance to work with Maureen for three years. During that time I watched Maureen handle all of her responsibilities with grace and professionalism. One of the things I quickly learned was that Maureen could cheerfully tackle almost anything - given the freedom, she could exceed even her own lofty expectations. Her ability to relate to others was exceptional - she interacted comfortably with everyone - from long-time SCOPE supporters to the newest New College intern. At work Maureen was all business, but in our birthday lunches and other celebrations we would see another side of Maureen that was personal and fun.

It is often said that the sign of a good leader is how an organization functions without them - and so with Maureen's medical leave of absence, we gained an even greater appreciation for her organizational skills. Everything that needed to be done was in the calendar - all of the files were organized and in place. It was like she was guiding our work from a distance. 

As a part of SCOPE's 2015 Annual Celebration and Boundary Crosser Award Ceremony, we shared with attendees a small but powerful video showing images of Maureen at SCOPE over the years and capturing people's feelings for Maureen via smart-phone clips. Three months later, she lost her battle with an aggressive cancer and passed from this physical world...but not from our lives and hearts. While we miss her presence, at SCOPE we feel her legacy each and every day. 

Please join us for Maureen's Memorial Services to be held on Saturday, February 6th, 2016 at 1pm at National Cremation, 2990 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota.