Peña Search Recruits CEO for The SAFE Alliance
February 26, 2026 – Peña Search has assisted in the recruitment of Pierre R. Berastaín as the new CEO of The Safe Alliance. Travis Hillier led the assignment. He succeeds longtime CEO Julia Spann, whose decades of leadership built SAFE into a nationally recognized model for integrated services. “For more than twenty years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary staff, board members, volunteers, and survivors to build an organization that believes every person deserves safety, dignity, and love,” said Ms. Spann. “As I prepare to pass the torch, I could not be more confident in Pierre’s leadership. I know he will carry forward this mission with heart and vision, ensuring that SAFE continues to be a place of healing and hope for generations to come.”
“I’ve known Pierre’s work for many years, and his leadership is grounded in compassion and a sophisticated understanding of both community-based needs and national policy,” said Lynn Rosenthal, former White House advisor on gender-based violence and deputy assistant secretary for population affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “SAFE chose an extraordinary leader for this next chapter, and I’m confident he will strengthen not only the Austin ecosystem but the broader national movement to end gender-based violence.”
Dr. Berastaín brings nearly two decades of leadership across national nonprofits, philanthropy, and higher education. He most recently served as regional director for North America and interim global executive director at the Centre for Public Impact, a Boston Consulting Group–founded organization advancing effective and human-centered governance worldwide. He held senior and executive roles at Caminar Latino–Latinos United for Peace and Equity, Harvard University, and the District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) in Washington, D.C., where he led major expansions in housing, operations, and survivor-centered support systems.
In his new role, Dr. Berastaín will oversee an organization with approximately 300 staff and a continuum of programs that provide safety to more than 1,000 people every night, more than half of whom are children. SAFE’s integrated model offers emergency shelter, long-term housing, counseling, legal advocacy, medical care, prevention programming, and 24/7 crisis response through one coordinated system.
“I’m honored to join an organization that saves lives every day and reimagines what safety and support can look like when we center families, strengthen communities, and transform the systems that perpetuate harm,” said Dr. Berastaín.
Related: Peña Search Seeking Executive Director for To Be Like Me
The SAFE Alliance is a merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, both long-standing and respected human service agencies in Austin serving the survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence. With an annual budget of more than $31 million, approximately 350 employees and thousands of volunteers, SAFE now has prevention and crisis programs operating across two campuses and in the schools, hospitals, courts, County and District Attorney’s offices.
Finding Non-Profit Leaders
Headquartered in Dallas, Peña Search’s specialties include: non-profit organizations, mission driven organizations, foundations, higher education, independent schools, religious organizations and educational institutions, human services organizations, museums, collective impact organizations, professional and trade associations, art culture and humanities organizations, environment and animal welfare organizations, fundraising, chief financial officers, chief executive officers, healthcare organizations, chief development officers, and advocacy organizations.
The Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms
Hunt Scanlon Media proudly presents the Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms.
This comprehensive online directory is your definitive resource for finding the best executive search firms to serve your talent needs.
Our guide is meticulously curated to connect you with leading firms that specialize in various industries and functions, ensuring you find the perfect match for your executive recruitment needs.
Holly Sherman Peña is founder and CEO of Peña Search. Over a 20-year career in recruiting, she has a track record of successful, high-level placements across the United States and in Mexico. Currently, Ms. Sherman Peña leads many of the CEO-level searches while also managing and assisting team members. She also practiced law for seven years, focusing on cross-border transactions and trade.
Mr. Hillier joined Peña Search in 2015. He conducts and supports searches at many different levels, and is committed to finding and placing the right leaders that will have a demonstrable impact in their communities and organizations. Mr. Hillier has search experience across a broad array of sectors and positions, bringing expertise to searches on behalf of educational organizations, those with religious affinities or affiliations, and agencies with international programmatic or fundraising components. He has also carved out a niche on the Peña Search team for his skill identifying development officers.
Related: Peña Search Finds New Leader for the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
