Koya Leadership Partners Heads CEO Search for New Bedford Whaling Museum
March 1, 2018 – The New Bedford Whaling Museum, the familiar name for the 115-year-old Old Dartmouth Historical Society, has enlisted non-profit specialists Anne McCarthy and Erin Reedy of Koya Leadership Partners to find its next president and CEO.
Koya described the assignment as an opportunity to help steer a vibrant and healthy organization into the future. The new CEO will be responsible for articulating the museum’s mission, vision and value to its constituencies, the search firm said. The individual will be charged with directing all operations and activities, and implementing policies, programs, and procedures in a manner that is fiscally responsible and consistent with the organization’s values and strategic goals.
The organization is seeking a strategic, tactical and entrepreneurial leader who is capable of developing and articulating a vision for the museum’s next chapter. The individual, said Koya, must have the drive and passion to remain at the forefront of the sector and continue to develop new and unique opportunities to serve the organization’s mission.
The museum is looking for someone with a history of sound financial planning, oversight and accountability, with the ability to clearly communicate its financial status to the board, said the search firm. The new CEO must bring experience in building and leading high-performing teams and guiding team members’ growth and development. The new leader is also expected to possess the knowledge and ability to ensure that the board is achieving its primary responsibilities of best-practice governance and fundraising, said Koya.
Candidates must have a sincere passion for the mission of the museum and a commitment to bringing its mission to the residents of New Bedford, MA and surrounding communities, and far beyond.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum focuses on the history of the international whaling industry and the “Old Dartmouth” region in the south coast of Massachusetts. It was established in 1907.
Non-Profit Specialists
Boston-based Koya Leadership Partners is a national executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with non-profits and social enterprises. This year, the firm was recognized again by Hunt Scanlon Media as one of the top 50 search firms in the Americas.
Koya has developed a national reputation for identifying executive directors and CEOs across the non-profit sector, including those for Hudson Webber Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois, Glazer Children’s Museum and Tourette Association of America, among many others.
Ms. McCarthy, who holds the title of principal, specializes in recruiting senior executives to non-profit organizations, cultural institutions and foundations across the country. She previously worked for another retained executive search firm and specialized in assignments for clients in the insurance and industrial manufacturing industries.
Ms. Reedy, who serves as vice president of executive search, focuses on conducting social enterprise searches for leading mission-driven clients. With a background in community development finance and a strong search background, she has led searches for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, IFF and Buck Institute for Education, among others.
Top Non-Profit Searches
Koya has been busy in recently months placing leaders at a variety of non-profit organizations. Here is a sampling of the firm’s recent search work from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Following a national search, Koya placed Angela F. Williams as its new president and CEO of Easterseals. The former YMCA executive is expected to lead the organization into its centennial year in 2019. Alison Ranney, managing director who heads Koya’s Chicago office, co-led the assignment with Ms. McCarthy.
Koya recently placed Felecia Webb as the new vice president of development for the New York City-based Campaign for Black Male Achievement. The search was led by vice president of executive search Liz Lombard and consultant Turner Delano.
Koya recruited David McDermott as the new executive director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Ms. Ranney led the assignment along with Ms. McCarthy. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s core purpose is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate, transform and change lives through the experience of dance.
Molly Brennan, a founding partner of Koya, has recruited Geoffrey Haskett as the president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The National Wildlife Refuge Association is an independent non-profit exclusively focused on protecting and promoting the 150 million acres within the refuge system, with stewardship responsibilities bringing the total management …
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
