Cooper Coleman Seeking Executive Director for Friends of International Friendship Park
May 12, 2026 – Cooper Coleman LLC was recently retained by Friends of International Friendship Park (FOIFP) to lead in its search for a new executive director. The national search is being led by J. Michael Durnil, director of executive search at Cooper Coleman.
The organization seeks a strategic, culturally fluent, and politically savvy executive director to lead the organization into its next phase of growth, visibility, and impact. At a defining moment, following its formal establishment as a 501(c)(3) and increasing regional and national attention, the organization is positioned to evolve from a deeply respected grassroots movement into a sustainable, high-impact institution at the intersection of border culture advocacy, immigrant well-being, and as a site of conscience.
The executive director will serve as both chief strategist and lead advocate, responsible for advancing a clear, actionable vision for International Friendship Park as a fully accessible, trinational space rooted in connection, cultural exchange, and shared humanity. This leader will build upon decades of community trust and advocacy to align stakeholders, strengthen organizational infrastructure, and drive forward a coordinated strategy for long-term success.
The job specification explained that the executive director will be an engaging, thoughtful, and values-centered leader with a passion for the complex issues of immigration, generational trauma, border culture, and grassroots organizing. The successful candidate will build authentic and sustainable relationships across a wide spectrum of stakeholders. This is a consequential leadership role, with responsibility for building upon FOIFP’s legacy and setting a course for the future impact and sustainability of the organization for years to come.
Friends of International Friendship Park is a trinational, grassroots, community-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, restoring, and reimagining one of the most symbolically significant sites along the U.S.–Mexico border, located on the ancestral lands of the Kumeyaay Nation. Rooted in a vision of connection over separation, the organization brings together individuals, families, advocates, and partner institutions from across the U.S., Mexico, and beyond who share a common belief that borders need not define the limits of human dignity, relationships, understanding, or cooperation.
Cooper Coleman is a retained executive search firm serving mission-driven organizations across the non-profit and social impact sector. The firm partners with arts and cultural institutions, museums, zoos and aquariums, public health, educational and research institutions, associations, and social service organizations nationwide. A member of The Giving Institute and the Network of Nonprofit Search Consultants, Cooper Coleman is ranked by Hunt Scanlon Media among the Top 250 recruiting firms and the Top 65 nonprofit executive search firms in the United States.
Founded by non-profit leaders and executive search professionals, Cooper Coleman brings decades of firsthand sector experience to every engagement. The firm approaches executive search as stewardship, representing organizations and their missions with care, rigor, and integrity. Cooper Coleman is often selected by boards and senior leaders when the stakes are unusually high, and leadership decisions carry lasting organizational consequence.
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Dr. Durnil has over 30 years of experience in K-16 education, foundations, corporate philanthropy, and not-for-profit leadership to the Cooper Coleman team. He has a track record in systems integration, program expansion, board development, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. Before joining Cooper Coleman, Dr. Durnil held numerous executive leadership positions, including executive director at Scripps National Spelling Bee, campus president for Roosevelt University in Schaumburg, IL, and interim president and senior vice president/chief operating officer at GLAAD.
CAMP Rehoboth Search
Cooper Coleman recently helped to recruit Robin Brennan as executive director of CAMP Rehoboth. This followed the planned retirement of its previously placed executive director. “CAMP Rehoboth has long served as a trusted and welcoming presence for its community, offering both connection and advocacy in meaningful ways,” said Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman. “We have had the privilege of watching the organization grow under Kim Liesey’s leadership since conducting the previous search in 2022 and are eager to see the trajectory of CAMP Rehoboth with Robin at the helm, building on its strong foundation.”
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Cooper Coleman was re-engaged by the board of directors to lead this search after previously partnering with CAMP Rehoboth to recruit its outgoing executive director. Working closely with the board and key stakeholders, the firm conducted a national search to identify a leader equipped to build on the organization’s strong foundation while supporting its continued evolution.
“After conducting a comprehensive national search, the board selected Dr. Brennan for her depth of leadership experience, her fundraising acumen, and her joyful, focused approach,” said Leslie Ledogar, board president of CAMP Rehoboth. “Her belief that community well-being is inseparable from access to health, culture, education, and the arts closely aligns with CAMP Rehoboth’s mission.”
Related: Cooper Coleman Recruits CEO for Family Equality
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
