The Humane Society of Northeast Georgia is looking for a new top dog to handle business at the shelter.
The nonprofit has hired The Chason Group, a third party, to help them find a fresh face to take the helm as executive director.
"They'll be previewing candidates and presenting us with some potential candidates in the middle of October, hopefully," said HSNEGA Board Chair Cindy Askounis.
The Executive Director is expected to lead day-to-day operations, supervise three veterinarians and 30 other employees, as well as lead the Marketing, Managing, Operations, Clinical Services, Animal Care and Development directors. The executive director also will oversee the private donations, grants and service fees that make up it's budget, which in 2020 was $2.5 million. The executive director also serves as the face of the humane society.
"We hope that the right candidate will have some executive leadership experience previously, maybe some nonprofit experience, maybe in the animal welfare arena, but those are not necessarily required," said Askounis. "Different people are going to bring different to our organization and we don't want to leave anybody out without at least having a conversation with them, because they could bring something new to us that we haven't thought about before."
While the organization is looking for a fresh face, there are some specific qualifications desired. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, preferably with other post-graduate work or equivalent experience. The future director must have at least five years experience in strategic leadership with animal welfare and/or the understanding of issues and industry best practices. The director will need to know all the ins and outs to serve as an ambassador and spokesperson. The Executive Director will have a hand in all aspects of the organization, from employee hiring and training, to the needs of the animals in the shelter's care, to social media and community engagement.
More detailed information about the who the humane society is looking for can be found here.
The move comes following the departure of Julie Edwards, who had served in the role for several years, as well as other roles at the shelter, and has departed. Bob Martin is acting as Interim Executive Director until the role is filled.
Anyone interested in applying for the position should contact The Chason Group by uploading a cover letter and resume to their website by October 7, 2020. The anticipated start date for the new director is December 2020.
