The Tolan Group Fills Senior Position for Elwyn
October 30, 2025 – The Tolan Group (TTG) has helped to recruit Marlah Bonner as senior vice president of advancement for Elwyn. “Marlah’s expertise in fundraising, donor engagement, and strategic planning will support Elwyn’s mission by expanding philanthropic support, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing programs across the organization’s multi-state network,” The Tolan Group said.
Ms. Bonner is an accomplished fundraising and development executive with more than 20 years of experience spanning both the corporate and non-profit sectors. After beginning her work in the pharmaceutical and consumer brands industries, she followed her longstanding passion for service into the non-profit field, where she has dedicated her career to advancing mission-driven organizations.
As a development leader, Ms. Bonner brings extensive experience overseeing philanthropy, strategic planning, and business development. Her work has resulted in major, principal, institutional, and planned gifts that have expanded access to education, enriched communities, and supported the arts. She most recently served as vice president of development at the League of American Orchestras. She has also held leadership positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Delaware, and the Philadelphia School Partnership (now Elevate215), and founded a consulting firm supporting charitable start-ups and non-profits.
Elwyn, founded in 1852 and headquartered in Media, PA, is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected human services organizations. As the country’s longest-running non-profit in this field, Elwyn is dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual, developmental, and behavioral health challenges. The organization operates across multiple states, offering innovative, person-centered programs that promote inclusion, independence, and meaningful lives.
The Tolan Group is a Hunt Scanlon Top 50 healthcare and life sciences executive search firm. It provides recruiting services for clients and candidates serving the private equity market, focused on placing leadership for healthcare services, healthcare technology, and behavioral health.
Related: The Tolan Group Fills Senior Positions for Holding Hands, Duly Health and Care, and Anodyne
Tim Tolan is founder, chairman, and managing partner of the firm. He is an experienced healthcare executive leading a healthcare-centric executive search and contract staffing firm serving healthcare services, healthcare tech, long-term care, and behavioral health. Mr. Tolan has multiple decades of experience in both privately held and publicly traded companies in a variety of leadership roles. He has deep PE expertise in placing executive leadership into portfolio companies across the healthcare sector.
CFO Search
The Tolan Group also recently assisted in the recruitment of Terra Holmes as the new CFO of Nexus. “Terra’s expertise in leading high-performing teams, implementing best practices, and driving innovative solutions will streamline operations and improve efficiency at Nexus,” The Tolan Group said. “Her strong background in financial planning, audits, and tax strategy will further strengthen the company’s performance.”
Executive Search: Challenges, Trends, and Hopes for a Hiring Resurgence in 2025
For many search firms in almost all industry segments, 2024 has been a tough year. There are many reasons for the recent downturn, and some firms have experienced a dip in revenues for even longer, according to Tim Tolan, founder, chairman, and managing partner of The Tolan Group. “Lots of changes are on the horizon for 2025 on the hiring front, and search firms are waiting with bated breath while hiring decisions are on hold, and draft fee agreements are (still) sitting in DocuSign waiting to be signed,” he said. “Decisions are dragging, as are active search engagements, as hiring managers and leaders struggle to make hiring decisions in the environment, we are all trying to navigate.”
In the Hunt Scanlon Executive Recruiting State of the Industry Report, the numbers reflected a double-digit downturn in demand for executive recruiting, with the private equity sector being the most affected. “We’ve seen and experienced that firsthand, but we feel positive changes are on the horizon,” Mr. Tolan said.
Ms. Holmes has over 19 years of experience in financial leadership, regulatory compliance, and strategy development. Prior to joining Nexus, she was the CFO of iCRYO from July 2023 to June 2025, where she oversaw the company’s financial operations during a period of expansion. Earlier in 2023, she served as a CFO consultant with Bridgepoint Consulting, providing strategic financial leadership to clients in Houston.
Nexus is dedicated to providing the highest quality of service in the field of utilization review. They specialize in providing physician services to the utilization review and risk management industry through accurate, independent, evidence-based results which provide a high quality outcome. The organization’s experienced physicians and professional administrative staff consistently prove to be a leader and beacon for the medical review industry.
Related: The Tolan Group Recruits CEO for OnePeak Medical
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
