Updates for the NOAH Community about the search for NOAH’s next Executive Director
Executive Director Job Description
March 31, 2021
Dear NOAH Community,
As you know, NOAH has launched a search for a new executive director. We are advertising the job on the usual sites including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Non-Profit Times, but we need your help to reach as many qualified candidates as possible.
We are looking for someone who views disability matter-of-factly and recognizes that there are challenges to living with disability, but also understands that accurate information and strong community structure can help overcome those challenges. Our executive director will help build a world where people with albinism are empowered to be fully functioning members of society, where barriers and the stigma of difference no longer exist, and where people with albinism have a quality of life that is rewarding, dignified and fulfilling.
Our ideal candidate understands the issues facing the albinism community, has experience with nonprofits (including a successful fundraising background), and is a strong leader with excellent communication and community-building skills. Additionally, experience working collaboratively with a board of directors, managing volunteers, and a commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community are important characteristics.
In many ways, our executive director is the public face of NOAH, so we are asking for your help to share news of this job opening with your contacts to help us find the ideal person for this important role. Please spread the word to any vision-related professionals or organizations who work with you or your child and ask them to share with their networks.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. I can be reached at pmcgonigle@albinism.org. Thank you for your help as we work to grow NOAH’s impact on the albinism community.
Regards,
Pam McGonigle
Chair, Executive Director Search Committee
Executive Director Job Description
March 2021
NOAH Executive Director Search Update
By Pam McGonigle, Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee
NOAH has taken the next step in the process of identifying a permanent executive director. As a former Board Chair with knowledge of nonprofit administration I am thrilled to be serving as the chair of the search committee. Currently, I work as the Director of Development and Communications at Overbrook School for the Blind. I live with my husband John, our son J.T. who also has albinism, and my guide dog Maida in a suburb of Philadelphia.
The committee members include a diverse representation of the albinism community. Kelsey Thompson is an adult with albinism. She is a former NOAH Board Chair and a former Editor of Albinism Insight; she lives in Chicago with her husband and two children. Cassandra Méndez-Ocasio has HPS albinism, is a member of the NOAH Junior Advisory Council, and works as a Software Quality Engineer for JP Morgan Chase. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her guide dog Romana. Donté Mickens is NOAH’s current Board Chair. He is married and a newly minted father; his daughter and his wife both have albinism. He works in risk management and lives in Delray Beach, Florida. John Schafer is a former NOAH board member who is still active on the Finance Committee. He lives in Long Island, New York, with his wife and three daughters, two of whom have albinism.
People with additional areas of expertise and additional stakeholders will be consulted as needed throughout the process. The committee will be evaluating all aspects of the role of Executive Director including responsibilities, compensation, and whether the role should remain a part-time position or be increased to full-time. Once those details are ironed out, the search for someone to fulfill the newly defined role will begin in earnest. The goal is to have someone in place by early summer.
Updates on the committee’s progress will be shared on the NOAH website at www.albinism.org/ED-search. The committee and I welcome your thoughts and feedback. You may reach me directly at pmcgonigle@albinism.org or contact the full committee by emailing EDsearch@albinism.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
December 2020
A Letter from NOAH’s Board of Directors
Dear NOAH Community,
We are writing today to provide you with information and updates regarding the status of NOAH and its leadership. The NOAH Board of Directors firmly believes that transparency with the NOAH community is necessary for the health and sustainability of our organization and, in speaking with members of our community over these past few months, we understand that you also desire more information and transparency from NOAH and its Board. The NOAH Board is committed to sharing regular updates with you as we go through this transitional period.
The Board of Directors wants to assure you that, although NOAH has lost a fantastic leader, the organization remains strong and continues to thrive during this time of transition. NOAH’s Board, staff, and volunteers are working diligently behind the scenes to keep the organization running smoothly and to continue providing ongoing programming and support for the community. We have designed a schedule of virtual programming for the rest of 2020 and early 2021 that we can’t wait to share with you.
Mike McGowan was a longtime and inspired Executive Director for NOAH. After he moved on from his role at NOAH, the Board has been busy overseeing logistical and daily operational tasks, while working to facilitate the change in our leadership and ensure NOAH’s programming continues uninterrupted. During this time, Diana McCown, a highly-involved NOAH member and former NOAH Board member, offered to help shepherd our community through this important transitional time. In discussions with Diana, we were impressed not only with her professional experiences, but more importantly, with her vision for this organization. We felt Diana would be able to hit the ground running and lead NOAH, and she kindly agreed to serve as NOAH’s Interim Executive Director as we proceed in finding the right person to fill the role permanently. While it is our goal to have a permanent Executive Director in place as quickly as possible, we also want to take the time necessary to make a well-informed choice.
We have taken initial steps in the search for NOAH’s next Executive Director, and we ask you to please understand that this process will take time. Our new Executive Director will have very large shoes to fill, and we want to find the right fit for our organization. We will provide additional information about the selection process as it becomes available.
We would like to thank Diana for agreeing to guide us through this time, Lori Aubrey for her unwavering commitment and tireless hard work for NOAH, and our many volunteers who are the heart and soul of this organization. NOAH would not be the vibrant, inclusive, and loving community it is without each of you.
Change and transitions can be a challenge, but we are incredibly optimistic and looking forward to what the future of NOAH will be. We would love to hear from our community and sincerely encourage you to reach out to any member of the Board to share your hopes and thoughts about NOAH and its future.
Sincerely,
NOAH’s Board of Directors