Shelli Herman and Associates Tapped by OneOC for CEO Search
May 4, 2026 – Los Angeles-based Shelli Herman and Associates has been retained by OneOC to lead in its search for a new president and CEO. OneOC seeks a talented individual provide forward-looking leadership and strategic direction, building on its successful foundation as a trusted partner to the nonprofit sector across Orange County.
Reporting to the board of directors, this leader will set strategic direction, build organizational capacity, and ensure OneOC is well-positioned to advance its mission of accelerating nonprofit success throughout the region. The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with strong management skills and business acumen, capable of shaping OneOC’s strategic vision and translating it into sustained, measurable outcomes. Beyond operational and external capabilities, this leader must be a genuine visionary, able to look at an organization with a proud history and many future opportunities and see the path ahead with clarity and conviction.
Externally, the next CEO must be a visible, deeply networked presence across Orange County—someone who brings established relationships in the nonprofit sector, understands the corporate community, and can convert those connections into partnerships, contracts, and sustained revenue. Strategic relationship‑building and commercial acumen, along with a growth orientation and strong community presence, will be indispensable. Equally important, this leader will reframe how the corporate community understands its relationship with OneOC.
OneOC’s president and CEO will serve as a trusted partner and spokesperson for Orange County’s social sector. This executive will strengthen connections with community leaders, government representatives, private-sector partners, and philanthropic stakeholders—recognizing how organizations can collaborate to advance their missions and build mutually beneficial partnerships.
OneOC envisions a community in which nonprofits possess an abundance of resources, skills, and connections to deliver on their missions effectively. For over 65 years, it has worked to turn that vision into reality. Founded in 1958 as the Volunteer Bureau of Newport Harbor by the Junior League, OneOC has evolved from its initial focus on volunteerism into a multifaceted capacity-building organization that supports nonprofit organizations, companies, and community stakeholders through an integrated, increasingly sophisticated suite of services.
Shelli Herman and Associates Inc. serves trailblazing clients across the corporate, non-profit, 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.
Related: Shelli Herman and Associates Recruits New Leader for Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park
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 non-profit, 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.
Saint Louis Zoo Search
Shelli Herman and Associates recently placed Kirby Meyer as chief experience officer (CXO) at the Saint Louis Zoo. This is a brand-new executive leadership on the Zoo’s executive team focused on shaping a unified, strategic approach to all external engagement functions. In this role, Ms. Meyer will oversee the Zoo’s creative services, events, guest experience, marketing, membership, public relations, sales, data and audience research to elevate how local, national and global audiences experience the Zoo and understand conservation.
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Ms. Meyer has more than 17 years’ experience in marketing, digital communications and growth initiatives for public- and private-sector organizations. She most recently served as director of marketing for the Zoo, where she spent the past four years leading the institution’s advertising, events and membership strategies as well as paid storytelling and engagement efforts.
Founded in 1910, the Saint Louis Zoo is home to over 16,000 animals, representing 500 species. It is recognized worldwide for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research, and education. One of the few free zoos in the nation, the Saint Louis Zoo is the most-visited attraction in the region.
Related: Shelli Herman and Associates Recruits CEO for the Dallas Zoo
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
