Los Angeles, CA – AbilityFirst is pleased to announce the appointment of Lauren Rayner as its new Chief Development Officer (CDO). AbilityFirst, which recently completed its merger with FVO Solutions, provides critical and transformational support services to people with disabilities and their families in Los Angeles County.
“We are thrilled to welcome a leader of Lauren’s caliber to our team,” said CEO, Lori Gangemi. “As AbilityFirst celebrates its 95th anniversary this year, Lauren’s passion and fundraising expertise will position us for success and lasting philanthropic support.
Rayner brings over 20 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience. She holds an MBA from the University of Utah and has dedicated her career to the nonprofit sector, helping to advance organizations that serve individuals and families struggling with poverty, healthcare, disabilities, housing and homelessness. Rayner’s most recent roles include Chief Development Officer for the Patient Safety Movement Foundation and Vice President of Development for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.
“AbilityFirst stands for, and alongside, people with developmental disabilities and their families. We create a welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued. Each person is supported to achieve his or her personal best. It’s an honor to be part of an organization that looks beyond disabilities, focuses on capabilities and expand possibilities,” said Rayner.
The appointment of Rayner follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by the AbilityFirst in partnership with Envision Consulting, which also consulted on the merger between AbilityFirst and FVO Solutions. Envision Consulting is a minority-owned firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, specializing in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration and executive leadership transitions.
See more of Envision Consulting's nonprofit executive search successful placements.
Los Angeles, CA – Pasadena based nonprofit, Young & Healthy, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rochelle Howard as its new Associate Director and Marie Mayen-Cho as Program Director. Young & Healthy is a leader in trauma-informed care and the go-to partner for in public health in and around Pasadena, connecting underserved children with free medical, dental and mental health services from volunteer doctors and helping families with insurance enrollment and navigation.
Howard brings over 15 years of experience managing programs and projects serving underserved youth. Her roles have spanned administrative, fund development and programs, where she has managed program budgets, outcomes and staff, and has worked directly with children and families from culturally diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. Howard most recently served as Senior Program Manager for Workforce and Career Development for Goodwill Industries of Southern California.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be the next Associate Director at Young & Healthy. Young & Healthy is a staple in the greater Pasadena community, serving families faced with health insecurities. I first learned of the organization when my daughter received a handout about the importance of dental hygiene with an actual toothbrush and a daily schedule to brush her teeth. My first grader was excited and even posted it onto the bathroom door for safekeeping,” said Howard. “Overall, I am delighted and eager to contribute to a mission-driven organization right in my backyard with an impressive track record of serving under-resourced families to improve the health and wellness of their children.”
Young & Healthy’s new Program Director, Marie Mayen-Cho, most recently served as Director of Community Education & Outreach at Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, as well as Director of Community Health Access & Promotion for the Center for Community Health Improvement at Providence Health & Services. She brings vast experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs serving culturally and linguistically diverse communities, improving health outcomes for vulnerable communities.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rochelle and Marie to our management team at Young & Healthy. Their breadth of experience and proven leadership made them the clear choice for these important roles, as we pride ourselves on our ability to respond to the changing and increasing needs of children and families in and around Pasadena,” said Executive Director, Mary Donnelly-Crocker.
The appointment of Howard and Mayen-Cho follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by Young & Healthy in partnership with Envision Consulting—a minority-owned firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, specializing in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration and executive leadership transitions.
See more of Envision Consulting's nonprofit executive search successful placements.
About Envision Consulting
Envision Consulting is a minority-owned firm specializing in executive and supported search, strategic planning and partnerships, and other organizational transitions. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, our partners and consultants are former nonprofit executive leaders who now use their collective experience and inspiration to uplift nonprofits and the communities they serve. Our broad spectrum of services helps increase revenues, expand awareness and strengthen service delivery to the clients who need us the most. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into our practices, including inclusive surveys and stakeholder interviews, focus groups, structured hiring processes, a focus on anti-biased decision making and much more.
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Pasadena, CA 91107
Los Angeles, CA – Pathways LA, a non-profit organization that works to ensure access to quality, developmentally appropriate, and educationally stimulating childcare, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tamika Farr, MBA, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 1978 Pathways LA is regarded as an early leader in promoting childcare programs that are inclusive of all children, including those with special needs.
“Only 1 out of 9 children have access to quality child care. I am eager to work with the Pathways LA team and our elected officials to develop policies that will change this ratio, ensuring that all children have access to the quality child care required to pave their pathway to success,” said Farr.
Farr brings more than 20 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as Executive Director of El Centro de Amistad, where she expanded the organization’s service area and programming two new locations. As CEO of Pathways LA, Farr will oversee the organization’s $28M budget and its programs that assist vulnerable working families, support childcare providers and educational services, and advocate for economically resilient communities. In her new role, Farr will guide the organization’s strategic planning process to ensure expansion, a focus on DEI, increased community connections and more.
The appointment of Farr follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by the Pathways LA Board of Directors in partnership with Envision Consulting—a minority-owned firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, specializing in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration and executive leadership transitions.
See more of Envision Consulting's nonprofit executive search successful placements.
Los Angeles, CA – Shelby Williams-González has been named Chief Executive Officer of Inner-City Arts. Founded over thirty years ago, Inner-City Arts is widely regarded as one of the nation's most effective arts education providers, recognized as an oasis of learning, achievement and creativity in the heart of Skid Row and a vital partner in the work of transforming the lives of young people in Los Angeles and beyond.
Williams-González, a native Angeleno with more than twenty years of professional experience in arts, arts education, and youth empowerment, comes to Inner-City Arts as the Executive Director of artworxLA, a nonprofit that aims to reduce high school dropout rates through arts programming. She begins her transition into the role of CEO at Inner-City Arts this spring, with an anticipated full-time start date of June 1, 2021. Williams-González will oversee Inner-City Arts’ annual budget of $4.5 million, 30 full-time staff, and a robust network of schools and partners.
"I am so thrilled and deeply honored to be joining the Inner-City Arts team of educators, artists, creatives and advocates that are dedicated to ensuring the arts are a part of so many young people's lives,” says Williams- González, “As we re-emerge from the last 13 months of isolation, as well as a historic public health crisis, repeated atrocities of racial injustice and polarizing politics, it is the arts that will serve as a platform for healing and a catalyst to reimagine a future where we can all thrive.” She adds, “There is so much work to be done but we, as a team and as a community, are up for the challenge."
The appointment of Williams-González follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by the Board in partnership with Envision Consulting—an executive search and nonprofit strategy firm based in Pasadena and New York.
See more of Envision Consulting's nonprofit executive search successful placements.
Montclair, CA – OPARC, a Southern California based nonprofit that provides services to intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stacey Proctor as their incoming President/CEO. OPARC serves over 800 adults in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties with a mission to provide employment, training, support and a sense of community to those served.
“On behalf of OPARC, we are thrilled to have Stacey take the helm as our next President/CEO,” said Kam Banerjee, Board Chair. “Her intellect, passion for service, and her creative vision for fulfilling our mission are among the many things that most impressed us and made her the best choice to lead us into our next chapter.”
Ms. Proctor brings with her over 30 years of prior success in the nonprofit world, managing programs for the disabled, fundraising, and building strategic relationships. Among her many accomplishments, as Executive Director of Casa Teresa, Orange County, CA she doubled campus size and number of residents served, and completed a $6 million campaign in six months and as Executive Director of Disability Rights Legal Center, Los Angeles, CA she coordinated completion of multiple high-profile cases and transformed a budget deficit to a budget surplus.
“I'm excited and honored to join OPARC as their new CEO,” said Ms. Proctor. “As we have been working through the extraordinary circumstances of COVID19, I welcome this opportunity to explore new opportunities and ensure the continuation of our current outstanding programs. I am inspired by the dedicated, experienced and compassionate staff and Board of Directors.”
OPARC entered the search process looking for a visionary who is passionate about their mission, believing that all individuals deserve the human right to be valued members of society regardless of their intellectual or physical capabilities. The Board of Directors has every confidence that they have found that leader in Ms. Proctor.
See more of Envision Consulting's nonprofit executive search successful placements.