Cook Silverman Search Retained by Welcoming Home
December 5, 2025 – Greenbrae, CA-based Cook Silverman Search has been selected by non-profit Welcoming Home to find is next executive director. This individual will lead Welcoming Home into its next dynamic phase of growth, working closely with the board of directors, part-time staff, and dedicated volunteers. They will be responsible for strategy, fundraising, program management, communications, and organizational operations, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact.
Welcoming Home is looking to attract a strategic and hands-on leader who combines strengths in both development and operations, with experience growing organizations and the ability to step in directly when needed to keep complex projects moving. The non-profit is seeking an exceptional manager and coordinator who thrives in fast-moving, multifaceted environments, juggling many priorities while guiding staff, volunteers, and community partners with clarity and respect.
Desired is a mission-centered problem solver who believes deeply in helping neighbors in Marin and Sonoma counties, brings humor and resilience to challenges, and can make quick, thoughtful decisions under pressure. The organization is looking for a skilled communicator and fundraiser who can write effectively, engage donors and partners, and cultivate senior volunteers while keeping the organization on track toward sustainable growth.
Welcoming Home helps individuals and families who are transitioning out of homelessness and poverty by fully furnishing and equipping their homes while engaging the local community in donating gently used furniture and keeping good furniture out of landfills. Services are provided at no charge to the residents or referring social service agency. Founded nine years ago, Welcoming Home received its 501(c)(3) designation in 2023 after being fiscally sponsored. The organization has refined its processes to offer a unique and highly impactful service to those living ‘homeless while housed.’ In the past year alone, Welcoming Home furnished 39 homes in Marin and Sonoma Counties.
Cook Silverman Search focuses on many senior positions include but not limited to: development, CEO/COO/executive director and CFO’s for non-profit organizations, predominantly in Northern California. Its client base represents a broad span of organizations, including social service, museums, science. independent schools, universities, conservation, health care, and culture. The firm has placed advancement executives for Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, Children’s Council of San Francisco, Eviction Defense Collaborative, The Unity Council, Earth Island Institute, among others.
Related: Cook Silverman Search Retained by Ploughshares to Recruit Executive Director
Victoria L. Silverman is managing founder of the search firm. She has more than 30 years of experience in the philanthropic sector. Throughout her career, Ms. Silverman has worked in senior fundraising, advancement, and management positions at Stanford University, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of California, the American Film Institute, and the Buck Institute for Age Research, among others. Her search work focuses on higher education, the arts, biotech and environment sectors. She has been speaker for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and has served on fundraising advisory committees for several non-profit organizations.
Ploughshares Search
Cook Silverman Search recently placed Samara Dun as the new executive director of Ploughshares. “Samara’s journey began as a young activist in the nuclear freeze movement, which inspired her lifelong commitment to peace and collaboration,” Ploughshares said in a LinkedIn post. “Longtime friends of Ploughshares may remember Samara from her tenure as director of development, and her return to Ploughshares is a full-circle moment to lead our work toward a world that is free from the threat of nuclear weapons.” Ms. Dun brings over two decades of leadership experience in philanthropy and non-profit management to her role as executive director of Ploughshares.
The Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms
Hunt Scanlon Media proudly presents the Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms.
This comprehensive online directory is your definitive resource for finding the best executive search firms to serve your talent needs.
Our guide is meticulously curated to connect you with leading firms that specialize in various industries and functions, ensuring you find the perfect match for your executive recruitment needs.
She previously served as vice president of development, communications, and marketing at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, and held senior development positions at Larkin Street Youth Services and Environmental Defense Fund. From 2006 to 2016, Ms. Dun was director of development at Ploughshares, where she shaped fundraising strategy and supported significant organizational growth.
Ploughshares is a global security foundation committed to reducing nuclear threats and ultimately eliminating nuclear weapons. The organization envisions a safer and more secure world, driven by its mission to transform nuclear policy. To achieve this, Ploughshares strengthens the nuclear field by amplifying diverse voices, fostering public engagement, and challenging the status quo.
Related: Cook Silverman Search Seeking Chief Development Officer for St. Anthony’s Foundation
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
