Pearl Street Collective Seeking CEO for NOCO Humane
September 29, 2025 – Boston-based Pearl Street Collective was recently retained by NOCO Humane in Loveland, CO, to lead in its search for a new CEO. The organization seeks a strategic, collaborative, and community-rooted CEO to lead the organization into its next era following the planned transition of its long-serving and widely respected leader.
This moment of continuity and change offers an opportunity to build upon a strong foundation of operational excellence, trusted community partnerships, and recent regional expansion. The CEO will provide visionary and operational leadership as NOCO Humane advances its presence in Weld County, opens a third adoption facility, and leads a major capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art shelter.
The CEO is the executive leader of NOCO Humane, serving as the head of vision, strategy and execution, and is responsible for advancing its mission to further compassionate, safe, and responsible relationships between animals and people. The CEO oversees all aspects of the organization’s strategic, financial, operational, and cultural health. They ensure the values of open admission and Socially Conscious Sheltering are upheld while strengthening public trust, driving innovation, and delivering impact to advance the organization and its reputation as a leader in animal welfare.
The next CEO will bring seasoned nonprofit leadership experience including fundraising expertise, strategic acumen, and operational excellence to build on the current foundation and guide the organization and its people into its next phase. This moment calls for a leader who brings both heart for its mission and the executive skill to scale its impact.
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Those applying should have a bachelor’s degree (preferably in non-profit management, business administration, public administration, animal science, or a related field) or equivalent work experience required; an advanced degree is a plus. A minimum of eight years of senior management experience in the non-profit or government sector (preferably in animal welfare) is required. A track record of successful fundraising and development skills, proven strategic planning abilities, and successful financial budgeting and management is also required.
Northern Colorado’s Largest Animal Welfare Organization
Founded in 1969, NOCO Humane (formerly known as Larimer Humane Society) is an independent, non-profit organization and not affiliated with any national organization. It is northern Colorado’s largest animal welfare organization, operating two shelters and providing shelter, medical attention and care to approximately 12,000 lost, abandoned, injured, abused, ill, and orphaned animals each year.
Women-owned and operated Pearl Street Collective, founded in 2019, provides high-touch executive search and talent strategy services to identify purpose-driven leaders for the non-profit sector. Operating out of main offices in Boston and San Diego, CA with team members around the country, the firm supports organizations in higher education, arts and culture, social justice, human services, philanthropy, health, and more. Pearl Street was named by Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy as the Top Search Firm for Women of Color for two consecutive years.
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The firm is led by co-founders and managing partners Adele Mezher and Maeve Clifford. Ms. Mezher brings nearly 30 years of leadership in executive search to her role as co-founder and managing partner of Pearl Street. Highly skilled in strategic marketing and business development, she began her search career implementing programs that supported new market entry and practice expansion before assuming a search portfolio of CEO and vice president-level engagements on behalf of the Fortune 500 and venture/private equity portfolio companies in technology and industrial manufacturing.
Ms. Clifford has more than 20 years of blended non-profit and executive search leadership to her role as co-founder and managing partner of Pearl Street. In addition to search management, she has led, built, trained, and guided research teams for multiple search firms in the non-profit and for-profit sectors, and was an integral contributor to the launch of two national search firms before establishing Pearl Street. Her non-profit career includes functional roles at Harvard University, a charter school network, and a community non-profit, as well as board experience.
Related: Pearl Street Collective Recruits Chief Development Officer for Treehouse
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
