The YWCA has announced that it is launching a national search for a new executive director.
 
YWCA Lower Cape Fear board president Jenni Harris said this week that “we need someone who can fundraise. We are working on the job description now.”
 
On Tuesday, Harris and the YWCA search team met with Armstrong McGuire, an executive search firm focused on nonprofits, based in Raleigh.  
 
“Now we’re assembling the job description, and what the community wants from us, and wants from the YWCA,” Harris explained.
 
The move comes six weeks after the departure of the previous director.
 
The YWCA had been led by Susan Fennell, who took on the role of executive director in January 2011 amidst much fanfare.
 
“Susan brings a combination of YWCA and business experience that is necessary to continue and enhance all the wonderful programs the YWCA Lower Cape Fear has to offer,” said former board president Kristy Hubard at the time of her hiring.
 
In 2010 the executive committee of the YWCA Board of Directors had also conducted a nationwide search for candidates and received more than 30 applications for the executive director’s position, before choosing Fennell.

“She did a great job,” Harris said in discussing Fennell. “Susan was really good at operational budgets. She turned some things around.”
 
Harris said she was not able to discuss the reason behind Fennell’s departure, and efforts to reach Fennell on Wednesday were not immediately successful.
 
Last year was not a strong one for the YWCA financially. According to its annual report, the organization’s revenue for the year was $1.33 million, which fell short of meeting the association’s expenditures for the year of $1.37 million.
 
In discussing the search for new leadership, Harris said, “Any executive director of a nonprofit needs to be passionate about the mission. This person needs to know how to build relationships and how to fundraise.”
 
The YWCA Lower Cape Fear is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a mission it states as being “dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”