I was originally entered into a one-year Acting Executive Director contract with the National Youth Advocacy Coalition in late 2007 - right before the economic crisis began to explode.  At the time, the board wasn't sure what the organization's program commitments were going to be and selecting a long-term Executive Director was tricky as they weren't yet sure what type of organization they had - let alone what type of leader they needed.  I was hired to help them navigate that process based on all of the feedback they had received from the community.

The impact of the economic meltdown was coming into a clearer picture when I officially began in early April of 2008. It was clear that in addition to redeveloping the agency, we were going to have to be nimble to navigate this new fundraising climate.

Towards the end of the first year, we had a new program model and brand strategy which fit the direction the board firmly wanted the agency headed in.  I was asked to stay on a couple more years to help finish the process and solidify the organization's foundation so the next director would have a strong base to build upon.

I'm incredibly proud that at a time when far too many nonprofits were closing their doors, we were able to grow our budget, maintain our staff and secure long-term funding. The organization went through some massive changes - some which comfortable for everyone and some which were not. Ultimately, I'm confident that I left the organization with the solid foundation to build upon that I set out to create when I was hired.