Accountability, Growth, and Building Forward.
Over the past year, I’ve gone through one of the most difficult and defining periods of my life.
During my time serving as Board Chairman, President, and Executive Director of Alberta Main Street, a nonprofit organization focused on keeping the community vibrant, creative and equitable, serious issues occurred related to financial management and organizational oversight.
That situation led to legal consequences and more importantly, it impacted a community, stakeholders, and people who trusted the leadership in place.
I was in a position of responsibility.
And that matters.
While there were multiple factors involved, I’ve had to take a hard and honest look at my role as a leader where stronger oversight, structure, and discipline were required.
Accountability, for me, has meant more than acknowledging what happened. It has meant sitting with it, learning from it, and understanding how leadership must show up not just in vision but in execution, systems, and governance.
This experience fundamentally changed how I think about leadership.
I’ve learned that:
Good intentions are not a substitute for strong systems
Trust is built through transparency, structure, and consistency
Financial oversight and governance are non-negotiable responsibilities
Leadership requires not just direction but discipline and controls
I’ve also taken time to reflect on the broader impact.
Organizations like Alberta Main Street exist to support small businesses, creatives, and communities. When leadership falls short, the effects extend beyond internal operations they affect real people, real businesses, and real trust.
That is something I take seriously.
Since that time, I’ve been focused on doing the work both professionally and personally.
That includes:
Continuing to strengthen my understanding of financial oversight, governance, and operational discipline
Taking responsibility where I can
Being intentional about how I lead and operate moving forward
It hasn’t been easy. But it’s been necessary.
And it’s been clarifying.
Today, I’m focused on building forward with purpose.
My work continues in business strategy, advising, and supporting entrepreneurs, particularly Black-owned businesses, where structure, discipline, and access can make a lasting difference.
I’m committed to helping founders build strong, sustainable businesses from the start; grounded not just in vision, but in systems that support long-term success.
I don’t expect to rewrite the past.
But I do take full ownership of how I move forward.
And I’m committed to doing that with integrity, clarity, and growth at the center of everything I build next.
— Devon T. Horace