DRiWaterstone Human Capital Leading COO Search for Step Up For Students
April 21, 2026 – DRiWaterstone Human Capital was recently tapped by Step Up For Students to lead in its search for a chief operations officer. The COO is a critical role for the transformation and growth of Step Up for Students. Reporting to the chief executive officer, the COO is responsible for leading the organization’s operational teams, including customer experience, scholarship programs, enterprise project portfolio management, project management office, procurement, and vendor management. The COO will deliver operational excellence through direct efforts and collaboration with other teams to best serve the organization’s current and future constituents.
Those applying should bring demonstrated success and a proven track record in professional/life experience in specific job functions, projects, or industries, and military service can substitute for the formal education requirements. Candidates should have at least 15 years of experience leading large teams (50 direct and indirect reports) and budgets. They must have experience managing all or similar teams/functionality: Operations, knowledge management and process improvement, CX, enterprise portfolio, PMO, scholarship (or similar) programs, and procurement.
DRiWaterstone is also currently seeking a chief people officer for Step Up For Students. This executive plays a critical role in supporting the transformation and growth of Step Up For Students. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CPO will provide strategic leadership across human resources, workforce planning, coaching and culture, and internal communications. This role requires a collaborative, forward-thinking leader who can align people strategies with the organization’s mission and long-term goals.
The CPO will work closely with executive leadership to shape a high-performing, inclusive culture that supports both employee well-being and organizational success. In addition to overseeing core HR operations, the CPO will lead efforts to attract, develop, and retain top talent while embedding a strong leadership and performance development framework across the organization. The role will also guide initiatives that drive employee engagement, cultural alignment, internal communications, and workforce planning.
Step Up For Students is a state-approved, nonprofit scholarship funding organization that helps administer scholarships for Florida schoolchildren. It is a partner of public schools, and these scholarships strengthen public education by offering options to all families so they can choose the learning environment that best meets their children’s individual needs.
Created through a recent merger between DRi and Waterstone Human Capital, DRiWaterstone Human Capital is a culture-centric executive search, leadership advisory, and human capital firm focused on helping mission and purpose-driven organizations across the U.S. build high performance teams and cultures. The firm’s team of talent management professionals has placed over 1,000 exceptional executives since it opened in 2001.
Related: DRiWaterstone Human Capital Tapped by WJCT Public Media to Lead CEO Search
The firm offers executive search services focused on helping clients achieve sustainable organizational and cultural growth by finding leaders who align to the organization’s purpose, and who can help take the organization and its culture to the next level. DRiWaterstone Human Capital also offers a full portfolio of cultural talent management and leadership advisory services (including culture assessment, culture measurement, and culture curation) – to help organizations put culture at the center of strategy and drive success.
MOST Policy Initiative Search
DRiWaterstone Human Capital recently assisted in the recruitment of Allison R. Davis as the new executive director of MOST Policy Initiative. “We are excited to welcome Allison as our next executive director,” said board president Katie Steen-James on behalf of the MOST executive committee. “Her experience at the intersection of research and policy is uniquely suited to meet MOST’s mission of promoting long-term health, sustainability, and economic growth for people and communities in the state. I know she will bring her passion for rural communities in Missouri and beyond to her work as well as her enthusiasm for supporting early-career researchers.”
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A native Missourian, Ms. Davis brings a background in public service, research, and mentorship of early-career researchers. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the cultural property advisory committee at the U.S. Department of State. At the Department, she led a team of experts working to protect cultural property from around the world. Before the State Department, Ms. Davis carried out archaeological research in Peru for 15 years overseeing a team of archaeologists, researchers, and students. Her work in government and field research give her a unique perspective on translating skills learned in academia to the real world. Ms. Davis’ extensive experience in public sector budget and personnel management will make her an asset to MOST’s small but mighty team.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
