It was just before Christmas last year when I got the call from one of the Niagara SPCA Board Members. The Board Member shared that their Executive Director was going to be retiring at the end of August, and she asked if I’d be interested in handling the search. Having a love for animals would certainly be a prerequisite for working on this search, and I have been a huge animal lover my entire life. I had just lost my beloved dog, Bo, so working closely with this group of people that shared my love and passion for promoting kindness to animals would be therapeutic, and a true pleasure!
The first step was meeting with the Board and reviewing CPIBN’s recruiting process, and sharing my 20 years of experience working on similar executive level non-profit recruiting assignments. The Board was impressed with CPIBN’s methodical recruiting process that is focused on hiring right the first time, and our competitive business advantage. CPIBN has been in business for 30+ years and we maintain a data base of thousands of talented potential candidates in which to draw from before we even begin to promote the job externally.
As expected there was tremendous interest in this job opportunity. After an in depth screening, assessing, and interviewing process I identified three outstanding potential candidates for the Board to consider. All three candidates offered a unique background and skillset, and the Board was very pleased with the slate. Once the interview process was complete the Board selected Timothy Brennan to become the new Executive Director. Tim has been a lifelong supporter of the SPCA and he fully supports their mission of preventing cruelty to all animals through public education on their humane treatment and to provide love, care, shelter and advocacy for companion animals in our community. He also supports their commitment to a no-kill philosophy, embracing the practices of rehabilitating, fostering and rehoming companion animals in need.
This search was both successful and rewarding on many levels. I was able to work with a dedicated and fabulous group of Board members, and most importantly I was able to identify a candidate, Tim Brennan, who is both the right job and cultural fit for the Niagara SPCA. Tim is already working tirelessly to advocate for animals through the Niagara SPCA and he has helped build and strengthen the organization, and will continue to do so for many years to come.
This month’s guest blogger is our Director of Search Services, MaryEllen Carlo, pictured above with Bo.