Robinson Resource Group Assists Loaves & Fishes In CEO Search
September 19, 2016 – Executive search firm Robinson Resource Group has assisted Loaves & Fishes in hiring Mike Havala as president and chief executive officer.
“Megan was here less than a year, and when she told us in February she was leaving, we started looking right away for someone to replace her,” said Paul Novotny, chairman of the search committee and vice chairman of finance for the board.
Mr. Novotny said the organization reviewed over 100 resumes from surrounding counties, including Chicago, and throughout the country.
“We would meet every week and decide which candidates we were interested in after they were screened,” Mr. Novotny said. “We set a very high bar and wound up interviewing 12 candidates. About half a dozen were brought back for a second interview.” In the end, he said, “We vetted Mike just like everyone else, and he enjoys working with people and has the passion for our mission. We felt he was the right person at this time to move us forward.”
Mr. Havala brings a business background to the position, having worked for Arthur Andersen and First Industrial Realty Trust Chicago.
Loaves & Fishes’ community services has been helping families throughout DuPage County, IL for more than 32 years. The organization, which is a non-profit, provides groceries and essential supportive services to more than 2,800 suburban Chicago families each month. Its multi-faceted client engagement model combines programs such as job search support, food assistance, skill-based classes and public benefit assistance, to both assist and empower clients to achieve self-sufficiency.
Robinson Resource Group, a boutique recruiter specializing in senior level search and executive coaching, blends assessments, search methods, technology and on-boarding services. The firm’s clients include 360 Youth Serves; AcuSport; Boyt Harness Co.; Broaster Company; Chicago Meat Authority; DeVry University; EnSync Energy Systems; FlatIron; Graycor; Heico; Mesirow Financial; Silver Oak Services Partners; and Skolnik Industries Inc.
In June, Robinson Resource Group placed William Klinowski as president and executive director of the Folds of Honor Foundation. Managing director, Scott Robinson, led the search. Prior to joining Folds of Honor, Mr. Klinowski led a career in manufacturing, where he honed his leadership skills with industry powerhouses Tyco and General Electric.
The firm recently appointed Chris Lacy as its vice president of search operations. He brings over a decade of recruiting experience to the firm. With over a decade of search experience to the firm, Mr. Lacy previously served as a senior associate with Slayton Search Partners. Prior to that, he served in the same role with Kensington International. He also formerly served as a senior search consultant with Miller Resource Group, an executive search firm within the MRI network.
The economic strength of the non-profit sector has been increasing and the sector is now the third largest employer in the U.S. Nearly two million non-profit organizations employ 10.7 million people and produce revenue in excess of $1.9 trillion.
Hiring among non-profits continues to grow. According to the 2016 ‘Non-Profit Salaries & Staffing Report’ by PNP Staffing Group, more than 50 percent of hiring managers are reporting staff increases in the sector. The report found that the non-profit field has grown by 20 percent over the last 10 years.
This has led the non-profit area to become one of the fastest growing sectors within executive search. Today, close to 150 recruiting firms specialize in some form of talent acquisition in the sector, which includes foundations, cultural institutions, and academia, to name just a few.
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media
