City Year Selects Shelli Herman and Associates to Lead SVP/Executive Director Search
August 11, 2025 – Los Angeles-based Shelli Herman and Associates has been retained by City Year to lead in its search for a senior vice president and executive director. The organization is seeking an innovative, dynamic, entrepreneurial, and people-focused leader to serve as the senior on-site executive.
The position offers the right candidate the chance to play a key role in advocating for and promoting public education in Los Angeles and Inglewood schools through national service. The executive director is responsible for ensuring City Year Los Angeles achieves its impact, revenue, district partnership, and external relations goals and will lead efforts to boost City Year’s visibility and brand awareness across Los Angeles. A successful site leader and collaborator is a natural coalition-builder, people developer, and influencer who leads with both tenacity and humility.
Successful City Year executive directors embody the organization’s core values, hold the firm belief that education has the power to help all students reach their full potential, and possess a deep passion for equity in education. In addition, executive directors are expected to:
- Build and forge partnerships and coalitions with diverse stakeholders in the public and private sectors to advance the cause of educational equity, prioritizing outreach that will have the greatest positive impact on students.
- Mobilize internal and external partners toward a bold vision of how they can impact the lives of young people.
- Build, empower, and inspire teams to thrive and fully own their functions while driving accountability and taking personal responsibility for their success and growth.
- Provide leadership in the local and City Year communities, inspiring coalitions towards shared goals while fostering a sense of connection, belonging, and trust.
- Demonstrate curiosity, vulnerability, and humility as a lifelong learner who seeks out diverse perspectives and opportunities for self-improvement. This includes a desire to learn, receive feedback, and hold oneself accountable.
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City Year helps students and schools succeed, while preparing the next generation of leaders. City Year AmeriCorps members provide support to students, classrooms and the whole school. Schools that partner with City Year are up to two to three times more likely to improve in English and math assessments, and the more time students spend with AmeriCorps members, the more they improve on skills that help students thrive in school and contribute to their community.
Shelli Herman and Associates Inc. serves trailblazing clients across the corporate, non-profit, and higher education sectors. The firm’s long roster of clients includes the Annenberg Foundation; the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation; BENlabs; The Capital Group Companies/American Funds Distributors; City Year, Los Angeles; the Fresno Chaffee Zoo; the Griffith Observatory Foundation; Jewish Family Service LA; Laguna College of Art and Design; Loyola Marymount University; Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; P.S. ARTS; the Saint Louis Zoo; Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County; the University of California System; the Whitney Museum of American Art; and YWCA Greater Los Angeles.
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Shelli Herman, who has more than 25 years of executive recruitment experience, has a strong record of leading searches and building upper management teams for a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies. She has completed senior-level assignments in many industries, including consumer products, healthcare, high technology, and finance, as well as for non-profit, conservation, and cultural organizations. Additionally, she brings an in-depth understanding of the unique cultural environment of academia that was gained while she held significant management positions at the University of Florida and Loyola Marymount University.
Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority Search
Shelli Herman and Associates was also recently called in by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) in Omaha, NE, to lead in its search for a new president and CEO. The authority is looking for a talented president and CEO to provide strong leadership and strategic guidance, building on its successful foundation as a key driver of Omaha’s continued growth. Reporting to the board of directors, this leader will oversee operations, promotions, and management of MECA’s venues, including CHI Health Center Omaha, Charles Schwab Field Omaha, and the Tri-Park Complex (The RiverFront).
The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with excellent management skills and business acumen, capable of developing MECA’s strategic vision. By adopting a deliberate and tactical approach, the CEO will ensure operational excellence and financial health, allowing MECA to deliver exceptional experiences, strengthen Omaha’s reputation as a vibrant hub for culture, sports, and events, and foster innovation and collaboration. The CEO will optimize the organization by promoting cross-departmental cooperation and leading high-performing, results-oriented teams. Success requires an entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable work environment.
Related: Shelli Herman and Associates Recruits President and CEO for the Santa Barbara Zoo
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
