VISTA — Homelessness nonprofit Solutions for Change is under new interim leadership following the organization’s recent split with longtime CEO and founder Chris Megison.
On Tuesday, the organization’s board of directors announced that Aaron Byzak had been appointed interim CEO, effective Jan. 5. Before Byzak’s appointment, board chair Chris Chen had been serving as acting CEO since July.
Solutions for Change, founded in 1999 by Megison and based in Vista, offers a vocational program, the Solutions Academy, that supports families with housing, mental health and addiction recovery, and life skills and job training.
Byzak is the owner of the strategic public affairs firm Galvanized Strategies and most recently served as interim CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District from March to December. He has also worked as chief strategy officer and chief external affairs officer at Tri-City Medical Center.
He has also been involved with Solutions for Change for several years, including as a strategic advisor and volunteer course instructor.
“Solutions for Change has a remarkable 26-year legacy of helping families transform their lives,” Byzak said. “It is an honor to support this organization during a time of leadership transition. My focus will be on supporting our team, engaging with donors and community partners, and working closely with the Board to chart a clear and sustainable path forward. The mission is too important, and the families we serve deserve our very best.”
Byzak has taught a course called Three Strides Forward, focused on at-risk adults rebuilding their lives, for approximately two years at Solutions. He said it is based on a broader curriculum he has taught for around 15 years and focuses on accountability for prior decisions and on setting achievable goals.
“I’m very open about the fact that I come from a difficult childhood and have navigated my own share of adversity. I don’t teach from theory alone — I teach from lived experience,” he said. “Participants tend to recognize that quickly, and it helps establish trust.”
As part of its programs, Solutions for Change requires total sobriety and participation in workforce training for all participants. This conflicts with the state-required Housing First model, which prohibits sobriety or service participation requirements for homelessness organizations receiving state funding.
Under Megison, the organization has been outspoken for several years against the Housing First model. In an August op-ed in The Coast News, Megison praised the Trump administration’s executive order on homelessness, which encourages police enforcement to clear encampments, diverts funding away from Housing First, and increases civil commitment of unhoused individuals to treatment.
The absence of state and federal funding over the past several years has led to financial challenges for Solutions, including the forfeiture of 16 low-income apartments in Carlsbad last year.
Solutions for Change said the nonprofit will not immediately begin assessing permanent leadership. Instead, they will focus on “strengthening communication across the organization, deepening relationships with supporters, and evaluating long-term strategic opportunities.”
“During the interim period, my role is not to predetermine outcomes, but to help ensure the organization is well-positioned for the future,” said Byzak. “That work will focus on assessing Solutions for Change’s current position relative to funding opportunities, strengthening relationships with longtime and potential supporters, and supporting the Board as it evaluates long-term strategic options.”
Megison provided a written statement to The Coast News.
“Out of respect for the organization, its staff, and the families it serves, I’m not commenting on leadership changes or internal matters at this time. I’m proud of the mission and impact Solutions for Change has had over the past 26 years, and I remain deeply committed to the families and Overcomers it serves,” Megison said. “I remain grateful for the mission and legacy of Solutions for Change and ask for prayers for the families, staff, and supporters during this season.”
