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V O L . X X X I I N O. X X I I GIVING GUIDE A s a longtime staff member and recently appointed execu- tive director of Portland-based Shalom House, Abigail Spadone has witnessed firsthand the transformational impacts that nonprofits can have on Maine residents. "I have seen clients who come to Shalom House isolated, have little to no outside support and are really strug- gling," Spadone says. But with the Portland-based non- profit's support, those same clients form social connections, secure jobs and take control of their medication options, among other milestones. Spadone says that these achieve- ments form the backbone of recov- ery, which she describes as "not one particular outcome, but ... having the opportunity to make choices about your own life with the support of people who care and a community that is willing to support you." Anxiety over leadership changes For years, the nonprofits that provide these resources haven't always found the same support. e cracks show up not just in the workforce that forms the foundation of these organizations, but also at the director level, which for more than a decade has experienced high turnover and scrambling transitions. According to ird Sector New England, a Boston-based nonprofit providing leadership and manage- ment resources, "an anticipated wave of leadership changes" and general anxiety among nonprofit leaders have persisted since the organization published its first "Leadership New England" survey in 2014. In ird Sector's most recent edition of the survey, which uses data gathered from 2024-25, participating nonprofit leaders indicated that these challenges pose particular barriers to BIPOC-led and serving organizations. In 2024, the Maine Association of Nonprofits noted state-specific dif- ficulties in this area, with the "Great Resignation" intensifying the issue. While this trend that swept through- out the broader workforce has since concluded, Jennifer Hutchins, executive director of MANP, says that chronic underinvestment in the sector, federal funding cuts or pauses, and Maine's aging population continue to drive lead- ership turnover. "Our region, especially Maine, has always been identified as (having) one of the oldest (demographics) in the nation, or among them," Hutchins says. "So, we just know that from an economics perspective, our state is challenged by an aging population." Meanwhile, federal policy changes, cuts or pauses on previously reliable funding sources, and a volatile political environment place new and increasing stress on nonprofits and their leaders. Leadership changes in Maine In the past year, Maine's newest non- profit leaders represent a broad range of professional backgrounds: Some bring years of experience with out-of-state or national work at for-profit companies, while others have long histories with the nonprofits that they now lead. Mainebiz spoke with several of these new nonprofit leaders about their organizational vision, challenges and opportunities facing nonprofits, and how to effectively lead in a sector marked by consistent change at the executive level. Seasoned leader at Natural Resources Council of Maine Justin Strasburger stepped into the executive director role at the Natural Resources Council of Maine last April, but he's no stranger to nonprofit leader- ship, bringing nearly two decades of this experience to the role. Not all of this work has centered on the environment: Strasburger most recently served as the executive director of Full Plates Full Potential, an orga- nization focused on ending childhood food insecurity. But in a state like Maine, nature and the outdoors intersect with all aspects of life, he said. ough most Mainers appreciate the state's natural beauty, Strasburger says, environmental and industry needs Nonprofits navigate C-suite changes New leaders aim for continuity as well as progression B y J a c q u e l y n V o g h e l I know that I don't have all the answers, and one of the most important things a leader can do is recognize what they don't know and learn from the people around them. — Abigail Spadone Shalom House P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F S H A L O M H O U S E Justin Strasburger, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine Abigail Spadone, executive director of Shalom House G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 6 – 2 0 2 7 10 P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R