The race to find new leaders

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In the past three months, four prominent nonprofits in San Benito County have lost their leaders, leaving board members with the tough task of finding replacements. They are the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, Community FoodBank of San Benito County, Community Foundation for San Benito County and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Coincidently, on Aug. 21, four days after National Nonprofits Day, which recognizes these organizations’ ongoing efforts to serve their communities, Kendra Baron accepted the CEO job with the Chamber of Commerce. The group’s previous CEO, who was at the helm since 2018, left in June. Baron had been with the Chamber for six months as the events and marketing coordinator.

“She’s a go-getter, she’s well spoken and has great ideas,” board chair Shawn Herrera said. “Her heart is in it.”

Herrera, who is a member of BenitoLink’s Board of Directors, said Baron plans to capture the spirit of the local business community and focus on keeping businesses in San Benito County while working to recruit new members. 

FoodBank board member Michael Castro told BenitoLink the organization is close to selecting its next executive director following Sarah Nordwick’s departure on May 25. 

He said they are currently in the final round of interviews. 

“We’ve gone through several rounds of finding the perfect candidate who is truly going support the community, truly advocate for the community,” Castro said.

Following the resignation of Gary Byrne, its longtime leader, the Community Foundation for San Benito County is taking on a comprehensive, nationwide search for a new CEO, said board chair Chang So. He said the process could take up to six months. 

The CASA board told BenitoLink it’s in the candidate review and interviews stage of the process and was hoping to select someone “sooner rather than later.” CASA announced the departure of Rosy Segura in July.

CASA board of directors said they are in the process of reviewing and interviewing candidates for the executive director position. Photo by Noe Magaña.

All four organizations noted the challenges of drawing experienced and qualified leaders to San Benito County at salaries they can afford to pay. Castro said several candidates pulled their applications. Herrera said the humorous part of the process was that several people queried about the position thought it was in San Bernardino, more than 300 miles south of San Benito County. 

“Being able to pay someone as an executive in a shoestring budget is difficult,” Herrera said. “She was willing to step up to the plate—and bring money,” 

He added the chamber’s budget only allows it to hire a part-time CEO.

Baron said the wages nonprofit leaders accept indicate their dedication to the community.

“I’m here for the community because I’m not making what [other CEOs make],” she said. 

However, So said San Benito County can be attractive to candidates given its proximity to metropolitan areas, scenery and lower cost of living compared to surrounding counties. 

For CASA, which advocates for abused or neglected children after they are placed in foster care, another challenge is finding someone with a specific skill set.

CASA board member John Schilling said among those skills are an understanding of the needs of the community, as well as the court system, grant writing, fundraising and operating an organization. 

“There isn’t really a pre-training program out there to have people come to the table with that type of capacity,” he said. 

So, who is also a member of BenitoLink’s board of directors, said the Community Foundation created a search committee made up of board members, donors, members of other nonprofits and past board members in order to have input that would lead to selecting the right candidate. He said the organization is ready to contract with a search firm and hopes to begin the search the week of Aug. 26.

Herrera said there is a misconception locally that nonprofits are funded by local government.

“Local businesses and the population at large need to realize that these organizations need to be funded through contributions and membership dues,” Herrera said. “That is how we function. Those things need to be seen as a priority so we don’t lose these organizations.”

Community FoodBank of San Benito County volunteers fill bags that are distributed to its customers. Photo by Noe Magaña.

The FoodBank’s Castro said its board is looking for someone who understands the county and is proud to serve and be a champion to the community. He added that while he cannot share how many applicants there are, the organization has received a “diverse” applicant pool. 

“We want to make sure the FoodBank is always going to be a safe place and always has the resources needed to continue serving Hollister and continue for a very long time,” he said. “We’re very excited that we’re nearing the end of the search and hopefully we’ll have an announcement very soon.”

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