Shelli Herman and Associates Recruits CEO for the YWCA Greater Los Angeles
November 20, 2023 – Los Angeles-based Shelli Herman and Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Lori Carmona as the new CEO of the YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA GLA). “YWCA conducted an extensive, thoughtful search process to identify the right leader for our organization, and Lori Carmona emerged as the standout candidate,” said Alva P. Adams, YWCA’s board chairwoman. “Lori has spent two decades empowering people with disabilities through a person-centered approach, breaking down barriers to critical services. As such, the Board is confident Lori’s leadership will expand our organization’s impact, bringing us closer to achieving our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.”
Ms. Carmona has spent decades leading equity-focused initiatives at community-based organizations, and is committed to expanding YWCA’s affordable child-care, after-school youth, economic empowerment, job training and housing, and sexual assault crisis services programming. She most recently served as CEO of AbilityFirst, where she played a critical role in multi-million-dollar capital campaign development and led efforts to broadly increase the innovative services available to youth and adults with disabilities.
Ms. Carmona will work closely with YWCA’s board of directors, executive team, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to expand the organizations pioneering model of community centers and housing, expanding the availability of “Safe Spaces to Live, Learn, and Grow.” The organization notes that Ms. Carmona’s experience with community-driven program development and inclusive organizational leadership will be instrumental for YWCA’s next chapter.
“I am honored to join YWCA GLA as CEO, having been called to serve the organization’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women,” said Ms. Carmona. “YWCA GLA is a pioneer in providing accessible community centers and housing, working tirelessly on behalf of historically underserved communities throughout Los Angeles. I am committed to expanding on over 125 years of community-focused program development to amplify YWCA’s impact on youth, families, and seniors—in partnership with the organization’s dedicated team, supporters, and partners. I look forward to leading YWCA GLA toward its vision of transforming lives, building self-reliance, and strengthening communities.”
Founded in 1894, the YWCA Greater Los Angeles prides itself on advocating for “justice and dignity for all people with the goal of transforming lives, aiding individual and family self-reliance, and, ultimately, strengthening the Los Angeles community.” For more than a century, the organization has provided housing and supportive services; currently, the organization is pioneering a model of community centers and housing—co-created with diverse stakeholders—to improve lives and build resilience.
Proven Recruiters
Shelli Herman and Associates, Inc. serves trailblazing clients across the corporate, nonprofit, and higher education sectors. The firm’s long roster of clients includes the Annenberg Foundation; the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation; BENlabs; The Capital Group Companies/American Funds Distributors; City Year, Los Angeles; the Fresno Chaffee Zoo; the Griffith Observatory Foundation; Jewish Family Service LA; Laguna College of Art and Design; Loyola Marymount University; Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; P.S. ARTS; the Saint Louis Zoo; Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County; the University of California System; the Whitney Museum of American Art; and YWCA Greater Los Angeles.
Shelli Herman and Associates Seeks Director for Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park
Shelli Herman and Associates has been selected to find the next director for the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, a $230 million, 425-acre zoo expansion project that is scheduled to open to the public in 2027. “The realization of the WildCare Park will offer a new and exciting tourist attraction in St. Louis and will uplift the role the zoo plays as an important conservation, economic, and social driver locally, nationally, and globally,” said the search firm. “It is at this exciting moment in its 113-year history that the Saint Louis Zoo seeks an experienced, results-oriented director of the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, to spearhead the construction and opening of the WildCare Park and provide day-to-day operational leadership of the park and the zoo’s 325-acre, Sears Lehman Wildlife Reserve in Franklin County.”
Shelli Herman, who has more than 25 years of executive recruitment experience, has a strong record of leading searches and building upper management teams for a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies. She has completed senior-level assignments in many industries, including consumer products, healthcare, high technology, and finance, as well as for nonprofit, conservation, and cultural organizations. Additionally, she brings an in-depth understanding of the unique cultural environment of academia that was gained while she held significant management positions at the University of Florida and Loyola Marymount University.
Related: Shelli Herman and Associates Recruits CEO for Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
