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Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
Looking for your next nonprofit job? Want to lead a nonprofit organization? Dr. Patton McDowell (www.pmanonprofit.com) brings the best in nonprofit career development to each episode, helping you find the perfect nonprofit opportunity and guiding you along the path to senior leadership in the philanthropic sector. Patton brings 30 years of nonprofit leadership, coaching and consulting experience, and shares best practices for individual and organizational success based on his work with over 250 nonprofit organizations and their staff and board leaders. Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership features more than 120 interviews with nonprofit leaders and philanthropy experts, as well as deep-dive solo episodes and other special editions. Hit subscribe, and accelerate your journey on a nonprofit career path that can change your life. Learn more at: https://www.podpage.com/your-path-to-nonprofit-leadership/
Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
46: Finding New Opportunities Through Nonprofit Leadership (Cheryl Richards)
46: Finding New Opportunities Through Nonprofit Leadership (Cheryl Richards)
SUMMARY
As a nonprofit leader, how do you know when it’s the right time to make a change? That’s exactly where Dr. Cheryl Richards and I started our conversation, as she was only two weeks into her new role as the first female President of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus. After great success in her previous leadership role as the CEO & Founding Regional Dean at Northeastern University, she certainly was not compelled to leave, but continued to follow her strategic career vision. In sharing her story, she offers a literal resource manual for current and aspiring nonprofit leaders. Cheryl details her goal-setting and self-assessment activities, her approach to fundraising and board development, and perhaps most importantly, how she has volunteered her time to gain invaluable professional and community experience. She also provides great advice for leading in a virtual environment, identifying and mentoring young leaders, and also throws in a few good books for us to read as well!
ABOUT CHERYL
Cheryl began her tenure as President of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus on June 15, 2020. Since 2011, she served as the Founding CEO and Regional Dean of Northeastern University’s Charlotte Campus. As their chief academic officer, she championed the licensure and growth in academic program offerings from eight to more than 50 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs. Prior to Northeastern, Cheryl was a campus and academic dean at the Cato Campus of Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Active in the community, Richards has served on a number of boards, including the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and MeckEd. She currently serves on the boards of Progressive AE, Apparo, the American Heart Association, and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership for Higher Education at Capella University in Minnesota. She has a Master of Science degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication, both from Colorado State University.
EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES
Michael Watkins’ book The First 90 Days
Tom Rath’s book StrengthsFinder 2.0
Lance Secretan’s book Inspire! What Great Leaders Do