BroadView Talent Partners Recruits CEO for Pillsbury United Communities
April 21, 2023 – BroadView Talent Partners has assisted in the placement of Cinnamon Pelly as the new president and CEO for Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) in Minnesota.
“I’m so pleased to have Cinnamon join Pillsbury United,” said Brenna Brelie, interim CEO. “Her breadth of experience, coupled with her commitment to strengthening communities and racial equity are a beautiful combination of talent and passion that align with our agency’s values. I am thrilled to work closely with her in coming months to welcome her to the PUC family and introduce her to our community.”
“Midwestern born and raised, Cinnamon brings an amazing blend of progressively responsible corporate, non-profit, and community development leadership coupled with exceptional relationship management and fundraising capabilities to the PUC CEO role,” said Tracy McMillan, managing partner and CEO of BroadView Talent Partners, who led the search alongside principal Melania DaSilva Deaver. “Cinnamon will fast-adapt to Minneapolis and the constituent communities served by PUC’s mission and social enterprises. We envision that she will be the perfect catalyst for PUC’s next phase of growth and maturity.”
“Pillsbury United Communities has been the quiet achiever, fighting for social justice and equity in our communities for over 140 years,” said Heath Rudduck, chair of the board of directors. “The team has been preparing for the next chapter and selecting this new leader was a serious undertaking. We had some wonderful candidates, and we actively involved the entire organization.”
“In the end, Cinnamon didn’t only bring an incredible breadth of skills and experience, but her ability to genuinely connect with people at all levels was amazing,” he said. “Uniting people is the key to our future. With game-changing directives in play that will positively impact so many parts of the community, the board is excited to welcome Cinnamon to help begin PUC’s next chapter.”
Ms. Pelly is an experienced executive with diverse leadership experience spanning community development, education, health and human services, banking, and philanthropy. She most recently served as COO of the Urban League, where she oversaw significant renovations to the Cincinnati and Dayton offices during the COVID-19 pandemic which kept the doors open and allowed staff to serve 40,000 in the community. Ms. Pelly led negotiations for a 10-year, multi-million-dollar real estate contract for the new Holloman Center for Social Justice. The Cincinnati Enquirer called her an “African American emerging leader to watch,” and she’s been honored with several professional awards for her transformational leadership.
“I am deeply honored to lead Pillsbury United Communities as its next president and CEO,” said Ms. Pelly. “I am fortunate to join a team of incredibly talented and caring executives, staff, volunteers, trustees, and donors who have prioritized a bold vision for justice, equity, and prosperity. Together, we will build on our rich legacy of co-creating enduring change that positions people and communities to reach their full potential.”
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Pillsbury United Communities is one of Minnesota’s most well-established organizations with 140-plus years of service to diverse communities across the Twin Cities and beyond. It has an annual operating budget of $16 million (including affiliates) and 150 change agents. They are community builders co-creating enduring change toward a just society where every person has personal, social, and economic power. Pillsbury’s united system of programs, neighborhood centers, social enterprises, and partnerships connects individuals and their families across the region.
Finding Top Non-Profit Leaders
Founded in 2015, BroadView Talent Partners is a national executive search firm dedicated to placing leadership in affordable housing agencies, non-profit organizations, and associations, as well as middle market companies. The firm provides clients with a national network; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and a record of long-tenured placements. Its specialties include executive search, talent acquisition, retention solutions, career management, executive coaching, and board development.
Mr. McMillan has over 25 years of experience providing executive search, retention solutions and leadership advisory services to clients. He has developed a strong focus within the affordable housing, non-profit and middle-market sectors, and established a track record of well-placed, long-tenured C-suite executives. Prior to starting BroadView Talent Partners (formerly HCGA Consulting Partners) in 2015, Mr. McMillan served as the vice president of global talent acquisition for the NBA. Previously, he spent five years as a managing director at Diversified Search Group. His past experience also includes founding, leading and managing the McMillan Group, a Philadelphia area-based executive search firm that served clients across all functional areas and industries. Mr. McMillan began his executive search career with Carrington & Carrington in Chicago and later joined LaMonte Owens Inc. where he served as senior vice president.
Ms. DaSilva Deaver has nearly 20 years of experience building and aligning talent functions to support strategic corporate goals for a variety of organizations. Passionate about connecting clients with top-tier candidates to build inclusive teams and diverse perspectives, she works with all sizes of organizations from start-up to Fortune 500.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
