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V O L . X X I I N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 7 8 T he wave of leadership transitions among Maine nonprofi ts continues, as baby boomers retire and new leaders step in. Transitions were expected and, in fact, refl ect plenty of other job openings among nonprofi ts. In just a two- week period in early August, the Maine Association of Nonprofi ts' online job board listed nearly 80 openings at all levels; some nonprofi ts had multiple openings. Among those were four executive director listings. " e trend of leaders departing their organi- zations has defi nitely continued," says MANP Advocacy and PR Manager Mary Erin Casale. "To help our members prepare, MANP has launched a new 'Mission Driven LeaderSHIFT' initiative, and increased our in-depth programming, with a focus on building organizational leadership capacity and strong teams at both the staff and board level." In many cases, Casale says, departing leaders are folks ready to retire. MANP member surveys show some have been ready to retire for a while, but elected to stay on when the recession hit in order to give stability to their organization. Incoming leaders are generally moving up the lad- der, having gained requisite skills and ready to ascend within the organization or between organizations. MANP's executive director, Jennifer Hutchins, is herself an example of transition. She joined MANP in July, having served the nonprofi t community in Maine and Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years, most recently founding and heading Creative Portland. She replaced MANP Executive Director Scott Schnapp, who stepped down after 14 years and recently joined Starboard Leadership Consulting in Bangor as a consulting partner. For Hutchins, the transition is a chance to have a broader impact. "I love Portland, but I'm also interested in broader issues impacting people across the state," Hutchins says. "Creative Portland was a startup, and I'm proud of how far we took it. But from a career and impact standpoint, this was a great opportunity to go to the next level." Executive directors on the move Other notable executive director transitions: n In June, Peg Libby was succeeded by Nicolle "Nici" Carbone at Kids First Center in Portland. Founded in 1998, Kids First helps children and parents cope with the eff ects of separation and divorce. Libby was its fi rst ED. "It was a progressive group of people," says Libby. "We wanted to be the place where divorcing families went to fi nd answers to ease the transition. I worked with primarily mental health professionals and family law attorneys. My focus was on building relationships — with professionals, with the courts — convincing them to come over to the Kids First way of thinking." Maine is ahead in the fi eld, Libby says. "I'd go to national and international conferences, and what we were doing in Maine was far beyond what most states were doing," she says. Libby hails Carbone as the right person for the right time. "My strengths are in motivating people to help in a cause that's bigger than themselves," Libby says. "Nici will bring fresh perspective and techno- logical advances." Carbone trained in marriage and family ther- apy, worked with domestic violence agencies in Connecticut and Florida as a community/professional educator and child advocate, received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law, and continued to develop expertise in nonprofi t and governmental organizations. Most recently, she worked for the American Heart Association, then as a manager at the Maine Judicial Branch. Having worked with children a long time, Kids First is a natural fi t, Carbone says. "It's great to work with people who care deeply about children and their families, and help them fi nd resources they need. at deeply appealed to me," she says. Her goals include expanding the organization's reach across the state via technology and continuing to evaluate strategies to address needs throughout Maine's diverse demographics. "All the things I've done before led me to a place where I can use all the experience I've had," she says. "I hope that allows me to take the organization through the next 18 years." n At Woodfords Family Services, founded in 1967 and headquartered in Westbrook, Mark Eves will suc- ceed Dr. Paul Nau on Oct. 1. Nau has been a leader at orga- nizations throughout the country, serving individuals with special needs. He arrived in Maine in 2001 as ED of Bancroft NeuroHealth's Maine pro- grams. Woodfords acquired those programs in 2004, and Nau joined Woodfords as director of programs, becoming ED in 2012. Under Nau's leadership, Woodfords tripled in size with the growth of existing programs and development of new programs. Programs evolved in response to changes in a culture that's moved from institutionalization to community integration for people with intellectual disabilities. "Our focus has been not only on continuing that community-based service but also on early inter- vention," says Nau. "Now, with the promise of early intervention, children go into the public school system, remain in their homes and with their families, and the outcomes are much better in terms of their ability to live independently and be contributing members of society. e challenge continues to be getting proper funding and support from the community at large, from the state, to continue this work." Eves is a marriage and family therapist with 15 years experience in the fi eld of behavioral health as clinician and administrator for statewide community organi- zations. He's fi nishing his fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives and second term as Speaker of the House. Eves joined Woodfords in 2014 to con- tinue his career serving children, youth and families. "I'm coming to this position at Woodfords at a great time in its 50-year history. It's probably the strongest it's ever been," says Eves. Leadership continues to evolve With baby boomers retiring, nonprofits are in constant flux B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY First is a natural fi t, Carbone says. about children and their families, and help them fi nd resources they need. at deeply appealed to me," she says. Her goals include expanding the organization's reach across the state via technology and continuing to evaluate strategies to address needs throughout P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Jennifer Hutchins, executive director of the Maine Association of Nonprofi ts, takes over from long-time director Scott Schnapp. Nicolle Carbone Mark Eves

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