By Kim O’Brien, Executive Director, Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI)

I am ready for my next adventure in my career! 

After nearly seven years with the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), I’ve decided the timing is right for me to step back and for the organization to move forward with the next leader.  

I’ve been working closely with NPLI’s Steering Council and senior leadership at the Community Foundation on a transition plan and will leave within the next few months. The job is posted on the NPLI and Community Foundation websites, and other local and statewide sites.  

Throughout the next few months, I will work closely with the Steering Council, Community Foundation senior leadership, and NPLI staff to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of programming. Annette Look, NPLI Program Manager, and Amanda Barth, NPLI Administrative Associate, are rock stars in their roles and will also play an important part in the transition. 

I will stay until my replacement is hired. We are building in a short overlap to ensure a seamless transition. 

This is an exciting time for NPLI, as it is sure to continue to inspire and influence change within our nonprofit sector.  

Since its inception in 2015, NPLI has been on its own journey to meet the needs of nonprofit staff and board members with opportunities for leadership development and learning to better achieve their missions.

I work with a talented staff team and a committed Steering Council to continue this critical work to support building strong nonprofit leaders in our community. We have amazing funders who allow us to do great things in our community and I know they will continue to support the new leader.

While I know it will be hard to say goodbye after so many years with this impactful organization, I also know it is the right time. I know that my leadership skills are aligned with finding projects that identify gaps and developing solutions. I’ll be busy finishing my master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Nonprofit Management, continuing to focus on family, and looking for my next adventure in supporting local nonprofits. 

Serving as the initial NPLI executive director has been an honor. I am enormously proud of the organization, and I know it has great things in store for the future. 

All my best, Kim 

The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative within the Community Foundation is a partnership of Fox Valley-area nonprofits, funders, educational institutions and businesses dedicated to providing resources needed by effective nonprofit boards and executive leaders. NPLI offers a wide range of leadership, management and technical skill-building programs, as well as peer learning circles, to the entire nonprofit sector in the Fox Valley.

We support  NPLI with a grant from the Bright Idea Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, one among many community partners supporting NPLI. Click here to learn more.

Want more stories like these? Sign up to get in: