Diversified Search Group Retained by National Urban League for Executive Director Search
February 15, 2023 – Diversified Search Group (DSG), a leading search firm backed by private equity firm ShoreView Industries, has been called in by the National Urban League to find a senior vice president, policy and executive director for the Washington bureau. Sandra Goldman and Denielle Pemberton-Heard are leading the assignment.
Under the general supervision of the president and chief executive officer, the executive director of the Washington bureau is responsible for planning and program development for the National Urban League’s policy agenda. The individual is expected to develop and maintain relationships with the federal government and related public and private national organizations in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the executive director is responsible for advancing National Urban League’s strategic objectives at the national level, and managing the organization’s Washington, D.C. office.
A bachelor’s degree is required for this role and a master’s or professional degree is strongly preferred. Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years experience working as a program or policy analyst on federal legislation, regulations, issues, and initiatives affecting race relations, diversity, or EEO. In addition, candidates must have the ability to conceptualize and implement program strategies and have demonstrated writing, presentation, and communications skills.
Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research, and advocacy. With 90 affiliates serving 300 communities in 37 states and the District of Columbia, the Urban League spearheads the development of social programs and authoritative public policy research, and advocates for policies and services that close the equality gap. At the community level, the National Urban League and its affiliates provide direct services that improve the lives of more than two million people annually. The National Urban league has an annual budget of approximately $66 million with 150 employees, and 11,000 volunteers.
Family of Recruiting Firms
Diversified Search Group is a family of recruiting firms serving specialized sectors. The firm was founded almost five decades ago by Ms. von Seldeneck for the express purpose of placing diverse candidates in client organizations. It is today the largest U.S. female-owned and founded firm in the executive recruitment industry. It is comprised of a combination of specialty practices with deep industry expertise under industry recognized brands, including Alta Associates, BioQuest, Koya Partners, Grant Cooper, and Storbeck Search.
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Ms. Goldman is a managing associate in the corporate practice and is a partner in the firm. She has more than 30 years of executive search experience and has been engaged in assignments in the U.S. and globally in the industrial, financial services, technology, life sciences, and manufacturing sectors.
Diversified Search Group Recruits CEO for Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Federal Reserve Bank president searches are some of the most coveted assignments for executive recruiters to take on, and a number of leading search firms have gotten in on the action. Diversified Search Group has assisted in the recruitment of Austan Goolsbee as the new CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He succeeds Charles L. Evans, who is retiring in January after 15 years. Dr. Goolsbee becomes the 10 leader of the Chicago Fed. The assignment was led by J. Veronica Biggins, Carla Logan, and Michael Sarnof.
“After a rigorous nationwide search, we are confident that Austan is the right person to lead the Chicago Fed, advancing both the vision and mission of the Reserve Bank and the work of the Federal Reserve System, while also serving the Seventh District,” said David Habiger, who served as co-chair of the search committee.
Ms. Goldman also serves as a member of the industrial, supply chain, and innovation and transformation practices. She has both an internal and external facing role: She is responsible for managing her team and resources related to search strategy and execution, direct candidate recruitment, and for client engagement. Ms. Goldman joined Diversified Search Group after establishing, growing, and selling a successful business in Philadelphia.
Ms. Pemberton-Heard serves as a global managing director and chief legal officer of Diversified where she directs commercial transactions and manages a portfolio of executive level and legal counsel searches across multiple sectors. She is a member of the executive committee leading the firm. Ms. Pemberton-Heard joined Diversified in 2018 following 15 years as group counsel, programming, and business affairs at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Before PBS, she served as group counsel for Thales Inc., a French-owned communications concern, and as vice president, legal and business affairs at Time Life. She has also held in-house positions at Discovery Communications Inc.
Related: Diversified Search Places CEO at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
