(Above: Raymond Perrier at
the recent AGM with two esteemed Justices and Patrons of the DHC, Leona Theron
(left) and Navi Pillay (former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights). They are
holding a framed parchment of the preamble of the SA Constitution which was
donated to the DHC by Justice Albie Sachs when he visited recently. Photo: Rob
Morris):
At the recent AGM, Chair of Trustees Rev Dr Delysia Timm
announced some important changes in how the Denis Hurley Centre is run. After
10 years in office as full-time Director, Dr Raymond Perrier has indicated to
the board that he would like to step down.
“I only promised Paddy that I would come for two years – and that was 10 years ago! But I feel that, after a decade, it is time to make room for new blood and new ideas. I also want to avoid the trap of still being here after my sell-by date. It’s best to go voluntarily before that time is reached!”
Raymond will not, however, be leaving imminently and is committed to staying around for as long as it takes to find a suitable replacement. As part of the transition, he has handed over internal operational matters to Leanne Banks who has been the Administrator since 2017. She has increased her hours and now takes on the title of Chief Operations Officer (COO).
Leanne commented: “I’m looking forward very much to fulfilling my role as the COO. So far, the transition has been quite seamless; Raymond and I have been a good team for almost seven years after all. I’m very grateful for the support from my fellow managers, staff and the Board of Trustees.”
Raymond, who will still be at the DHC two weeks out of four, will focus on external issues such as PR, fundraising, advocacy and relationships with partners. During 2025, he is also acting as the Chair of the National Homeless Network which necessitates him also being in other parts of the country.
Delysia welcomed the way in which the Board can prepare for a ‘managed transition’: “Whilst we are aware that transitions can be challenging, we are hopeful that this will be an opportunity for ongoing growth and successes in our DHC community. We are confident in Leanne's ability to provide leadership in the Centre, with Raymond's guidance and support. We trust that the process of recruiting a new Director will be thorough, transparent and focused on selecting the best candidate to lead the DHC with vision and integrity. We are very grateful that the Batho Batho Trust who have supported the DHC from its inception have generously stepped up to assist us financially during this process of transition.”
So, the DHC is now actively looking for a new Director: the role could be the full-time position that Raymond had, or the reduced-time role that he now has. Clearly, they need someone who is passionate about social justice and has an empathy for the homeless and refugee constituencies that they serve. She or he may well come from one of the various faith communities who support DHC’s work and must be able to work effectively with the range of religious traditions in Durban, as well as with the secular partners. The person will have had experience in fundraising, networking and building partnerships; and probably also in the administration and governance of a medium-sized organisation.
Whatever their professional career to date, we would expect them to have demonstrated their commitment to the ethos and values of the DHC. The role reports to the Board of Trustees and will work very closely with the Administrator /COO as well as with our other professional managers.
A full job description is being drawn up. But if you want to be considered for the role, or you know someone who should be, please send an ‘expression of interest’ plus a CV to vacancies@denishurleycentre.org.
They will not be setting up interviews immediately, but will register your desire to be considered.
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