Bryant Group Recruits CEO for Kansas Health Foundation
July 12, 2022 – Irving, TX-based Bryant Group has placed Ed O’Malley as president and CEO of Kansas Health Foundation (KHF). “A lifelong Kansan, Ed has a track record of combining practical leadership skills with visionary system change,” said Jeffry L. Jack, chair of the KHF board of directors. “He has great interpersonal skills, but he also understands and thinks deeply about policy and the greater good. And as the Kansas Health Foundation continues to redefine health philanthropy by centering equity in our mission to improve the health of all Kansans, the board is confident that Ed is the right person to lead us through these challenging times.” Mr. O’Malley will assume his new role effective Aug. 10.
“Ed is a collaborative leader who has a deep understanding of business, communities, grantees, and factors affecting issues of health disparities, equity, and justice in our state,” said Junetta Everett, chair-elect of the KHF board of directors. “He is heavily involved in the civic life of Kansas, his community, and key national efforts to enhance civic engagement in the United States.”
Throughout his career, Mr. O’Malley has served the people of Kansas, first through positions in the state government and, since 2007, as founding president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), a non-profit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Kansas communities. The organization is primarily funded by KHF. Mr. O’Malley took the non-profit from a new start-up to an internationally recognized leadership training hub. Under his leadership, KLC has played a significant role in increasing the number of diverse and underrepresented groups in civic leadership throughout Kansas.
Mr. O’Malley had high praise for the search firm and its president and CEO, Sally Bryant. “Bryant Group does a phenomenal job managing the whole process, but what stood out to me was that they knew their client so well,” he said. “Every conversation with Sally felt like a conversation actually with the Kansas Health Foundation. She knew their hopes, critical challenges and greatest opportunities. It gave me confidence as a candidate. I was able to learn much from her and felt confidence in the board for selecting such a professional and committed search partner.”
KHF’s work centers on its mission of improving the health of all Kansans. The non-profit envisions a culture in which every Kansan can make healthy choices where they live, work and play. Founded in 1985, the organization works closely with other health foundations, non-profit groups, community foundations, state agencies, universities, hospitals, communities and advisory groups to develop programs and find answers to complex health issues. During the past 35 years, KHF has provided more than $600 million in grants to improve health in Kansas communities.
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.
Top Leaders
Sally Bryant joined the search firm in 2007. She 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 the 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. Bryant Group is the successor firm, established in 2002.
Related: Bryant Group Seeks Two Key Development Leaders for Western Michigan University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
