Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Selected by Newfields a Place for Nature & The Arts to Find New Leader
April 19, 2024 – Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, has been retained by the Newfields a Place for Nature & The Arts to lead in its search for a new president and CEO. Tiara D. Muse, managing associate, is leading the assignment. Newfields is in a pivotal moment of growth and evolution and is seeking a dynamic and visionary CEO to inspire sustainable change while leading a multi-faceted team with care, compassion, and integrity in its next chapter and beyond.
The CEO will effectively manage, engage, and mentor a multi-generational team of seven direct reports: The Melvin and Bren Simon director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, The Ruth Lilly director of The Garden & Fairbanks Park, the vice president and chief financial officer, the vice president and chief people & diversity officer, the vice president and chief operations officer (vacant), the vice president for marketing and external affairs, and the vice president for advancement. This is in addition to overall oversight of a staff of 300 across 30+ departments.
With support from a highly engaged and invested board of trustees, the next CEO of Newfields will build upon tremendous momentum and focus on managing the overall complex business operations of the institution.
Feedback was incorporated from Newfields staff, the board of trustees, the board of governors, the community advisory committee, and other community leaders at the beginning of the search process. In addition, all input is welcomed at any point in the search process. Feedback will be taken seriously and shared with the search committee throughout the entire search and candidate assessment process to ensure we identify and recruit the right leader for Newfields.
The search committee will partner with Koya to assess a diverse slate of prospective candidates and reach a consensus on the selection of Newfields’ next president and CEO through an equitable search process. The search committee of Newfields consists of members of the board of trustees and executive staff leaders.
Newfields’ mission is to enrich lives through exceptional experiences with art and nature. It serves over 650,000 people each year with over 300 skilled employees, interns, and fellows across various areas including advancement, conservation, education, natural resources, and public programming. Newfields currently has a $35 million annual budget, $90 million in buildings and land assets, over $350 million in endowment assets and an art collection consisting of 43,000 works of art
Related: Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Recruits Chief People Officer for Brooklyn Academy of Music
Diversified Search Group is a family of firms serving specialized sectors. The firm was founded almost five decades ago for the express purpose of placing diverse candidates in client organizations. Koya Partners is a part of the Diversified Search Group and is dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Koya works broadly at the senior-most levels of the mission-driven field in philanthropy, social services, arts and culture, and social justice, among others.
Combined Resources
In 2019, Koya was acquired by Diversified Search. With the combination of revenues and resources, Diversified Search and Koya now represent one of the largest non-profit and higher education practices in the executive search industry. Koya’s specialization in mission-driven search, primarily with non-profit and higher education clients, complements Diversified’s own major education, non-profit, and arts and culture practices, as well as the firm’s healthcare services, board of directors, life sciences, industrial, and digital, media, entertainment, and sports practices.
Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Tapped by Commonwealth of Massachusetts to Find CHRO
Koya Partners has been retained by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to find a chief human resources officer. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts seeks a creative, collaborative, and experienced leader to serve as its next CHRO and head of its human resources division. This executive oversees human resources policies, practices, and activities for all executive branch employees in more than 70-plus agencies. This includes efforts to attract, retain, educate, and develop this diverse workforce while maintaining positive labor relations to ensure high-quality public services are provided to residents across the state.
Ms. Muse brings a broad range of search experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors to her clients. She leverages her expertise in C-suite leadership to partner with clients and guide candidates as a member of firm’s CEO practice. She also advises clients seeking to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion.
Recently Called In
Koya was recently called in by Philanthropy Massachusetts to lead in its search for a new CEO. Elizabeth Lombard is leading the assignment. This leader will bring the expertise required to ensure that Philanthropy Massachusetts has operational oversight of the highest caliber and is structured to continue achieving its mission and goals. The CEO will be responsible for assuring Philanthropy Massachusetts’ value to its members and assuring high-quality programs and services for its various constituencies. Koya notes that the CEO will carry out the continued achievements of PMA’s mission and vision, leading the organization to achieve greater levels of influence, impact, innovation, and equity in the Massachusetts philanthropic market. They will provide sound fiscal leadership, staff leadership and supervision, program development, operational oversight, and external relations.
Strong candidates will bring excellent management and operational skills, deep communications and relationship-building expertise, experience with grantmaking, and the ability to manage multiple, competing priorities and responsibilities with a sense of calm and confidence, according to Koya. The CEO will bring the expertise required to ensure that Philanthropy Massachusetts has operational oversight of the highest caliber and is structured to continue achieving its mission and goals.
Related: Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Recruits CEO for Easterseals
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
