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INCOMING LEADER: Emily Givens will take on the role of executive director for the Lost and Found Grief Center in May.
INCOMING LEADER: Emily Givens will take on the role of executive director for the Lost and Found Grief Center in May.

Executive directors filter through nonprofits

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Nonprofits in the Queen City haven’t been short on turnover at the top of late.

The Doula Foundation of Mid-America Inc., Lost and Found Grief Center, Child Advocacy Center Inc. and Springfield Ballet Inc. each had an open position for executive director in the last three months – Doula Foundation for the third time in roughly a year and Lost and Found for the second time.

“Many of the people who run nonprofits are baby boomer age and they’re approaching retirement,” said Dan Prater, director of Drury University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership. “It’s not unusual. Every industry you’ll find people who kind of swap seats.”

The seat-swapping has been heavy in recent months, and these four nonprofit boards are immersed in hiring.

Barbara Brown-Johnson, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center for 19 years, is set to retire Nov. 1. The Doula Foundation is searching for a new executive director after Sue Robinson left to care for her elderly mother and sister and, previously, Kyla Bentley stepped down to work with her husband’s now defunct business Brick Slice House. Lost and Found hired Emily Givens after Kristy Endacott stepped down as director less than a year into the position to “pursue other opportunities.” And Springfield Ballet hired Ashley Walden in place of Evan Bennett, who left to work for the Seattle Opera.

Prater said ideally nonprofits should have a director succession plan written.

“The person has an opportunity to learn the culture, to meet key people in the community, to get established and have a better chance of success than if you just have a person quit and someone new comes in and hopes they can figure it all out,” he said. Child Advocacy Center was given a three-year notice by Executive Director Brown-Johnson prior to her planned retirement Nov. 1. Brent McCoy, past immediate president of CAC’s board, said the members have planned the transition for about a year.

In a somewhat unique move, the board established a seven-person selection committee of community members and board members, including Prater and McCoy, to hire Brown-Johnson’s successor. Since opening the job to the public, CAC has received 59 applications. The deadline is April 17.

“We’re tasked with reviewing those applicants; that these candidates have the skill set we’re looking for to lead the organization into the future,” McCoy said.

The committee plans to pick five to seven candidates for in-person interviews. Then, they’ll choose a few of the candidates to meet with the staff at the center and collect their input. McCoy said the committee hopes to select the new executive director during the summer to provide training time with Brown-Johnson.

Planning months or a year in advance for a new director is a rare opportunity, though, when family emergencies, other job opportunities and health needs can arise for top staff members.

After Endacott stepped down at Lost and Found last August, Givens said the organization contacted her to apply for the position among other applicants. She had supported the organization through financial donations and volunteering in the past. Givens said the hiring process took about two weeks consisting of an in-person interview, phone interviews with the board and interviews with the staff. Endacott left immediately after stepping down and a succession plan wasn’t in place for Givens, who is finishing her work as director of student life at Drury University.

Givens holds a bachelor’s in communications but has no prior experience working in the nonprofit world.

“A lot of times there’s just not time for a lot of training. It’s asking a lot of questions before I start so that I am ready,” said Givens, who’s talking with board members, staff and families utilizing the organization’s services.

Karen Scott was the executive director of Lost and Found prior to Endacott, but still is working within the organization as director of program development. Givens said she’s glad to have Scott there to help guide through the transition.

“There’s always a bump when you have a transition,” Prater said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong in the organization, but sometimes donors and community partners wonder why.”

With that concern also comes more financial expense for the organization. Prater said director changes cost the organization about $50,000 in hiring and training, and there’s a potential gap in services. This means the institutional knowledge held by the director can potentially be lost in the hiring of a new director – and whoever is being served by the organization isn’t served as well as they were before, during the transition.

“When these things happen let’s (not) rush in and hire just anybody, let’s be very selective,” Prater said. “Let’s also make sure that we do the process carefully and thoughtfully.”


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