Bryant Group Assists Whatcom Hospice Foundation with Executive Director Search
September 19, 2025 – Dallas-based executive search and talent development firm Bryant Group has helped to recruit Loran Zenonian as the new executive director at Whatcom Hospice Foundation, PeaceHealth System in Bellingham, WA. Sarah Hempen, vice president of search, led the assignment. “I am very excited to welcome Loran as a member of the leadership team as our new executive director for Whatcom Hospice Foundation,” said Amber Asbjornsen, chief philanthropy officer, Northwest, PeaceHealth Foundations. “I am particularly enthusiastic about his experience fundraising for the Lighthouse Mission’s capital project, and his wealth of experience in the philanthropic landscape in Whatcom County. I strongly believe he has the skills it takes to partner, lead, and develop the future alongside the board, volunteers, and donors, to make Whatcom Hospice the best it can be.”
Mr. Zenonian is an accomplished fundraising executive with a distinguished record of leading multimillion-dollar campaigns and cultivating high-impact donor relationships. As director of finance at Lighthouse Mission Ministries, he navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic to successfully secure seven-figure gifts and drive a major capital campaign to completion. Known for his collaborative leadership and strategic acumen, he excels in board engagement, portfolio management and cross-functional coordination. With a values-driven approach rooted in personal experience and deep community integration, Mr. Zenonian brings both credibility and commitment to mission-oriented advancement work.
In his new role with Whatcom Hospice Foundation, Mr. Zenonian will be pivotal in advancing PeaceHealth’s mission through strategic fundraising and community engagement. “I am humbled and excited to join the Whatcom Hospice Foundation,” said Mr. Zenonian. “For years, I’ve admired the profound impact Whatcom Hospice has on our community, offering comfort and dignity during life’s most challenging moments. I am deeply committed to advancing the Foundation’s work, strengthening our connections and ensuring a sustainable future for these essential services. I can’t wait to embark on this journey with such a dedicated team and supportive community.”
Whatcom Hospice Foundation strengthens funding and improves awareness of Whatcom Hospice services through community collaboration, compassionate care resources and individual choice for end of life issues, and is an independent charitable organization of dedicated volunteers and knowledgeable staff who raise funds and build community awareness in support of Hospice services in Whatcom County.
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Bryant Group specializes in advancement, fundraising, and leadership for universities, hospitals, and other non-profits. Its services include recruiting, talent development, and leadership coaching. The organization’s higher education clients include Stanford University, Harvard University, Michigan State University, Baylor University, the University of New Mexico, and others. Its healthcare clients include UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, the Mayo Clinic in both Minnesota and Arizona, Henry Ford Health Systems, Betty Ford Center, to name just a few. Its other non-profit clients include the American Heart Association, March of Dimes in both California and New York, the J. Paul Getty Trust, and more.
Veteran Search Consultants
Bryant Group is led by CEO Sally Bryant. She joined the search firm in 2007 and brings 30 years of experience in advancement management, consulting and recruiting, as well as achievements from the corporate sales arena and success in other entrepreneurial activities. Christopher P. Bryant, co-founder and advisor of Bryant Group, is a leader in the recruitment of advancement, development, and fundraising professionals. In 1988, he helped start what the firm describes as the country’s first executive search firm to specialize exclusively in philanthropy recruitment.
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Bryant Group is the successor firm, established in 2002. Now under the leadership of Ms. Bryant, the woman-owned firm focuses on advancing great leadership through executive search, leadership coaching and interim leadership services. Bryant Group has impacted more than 10,000 leaders and served more than 270 organizations.
Ms. Hempen has over 20 years of fundraising and advancement leadership experience, serving most recently as assistant vice president of development at the University of South Florida. Having served both public and private universities, she has developed and led annual giving teams that consistently exceeded goals and created new revenue channels focused on building a pipeline for major gifts.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
