Wesley Ireland:‍

DEAF, Inc. launched the search for the next Executive Director.

DEAF, Inc. is thrilled to partner with a Deaf-owned and led organizational development and executive search business to search for the next Executive Director.

Innivee Strategies, Inc. will guide DEAF, Inc. throughout the search process with Shane Feldman, CEO, and Kellynette Gomez, who will serve as the focus group facilitator. 

With their support, we have the utmost confidence that we will find a compelling new leader who will continue to fulfill our ambitious mission.

I also want to announce the DEAF, Inc. search committee members who will participate in the interview process prior to the finalist recommendations to the DEAF, Inc. Board are myself and the following five:

   - Lucille Traina
    - Shana Gibbs
    - Sheryl Spera
    - Diana Goldfarb
    - Carol Hilbinger

I want to thank the DEAF, Inc. search committee for volunteering their time in supporting the search process by building it and ensuring that the finalists we choose fit the vision for the new leader as expressed in the upcoming leader profile.

Shane Feldman:

Thank you, Wes, for selecting Innivee Strategies, Inc. to lead the DEAF, Inc. Executive Director search.

My name is Shane Feldman, I am the CEO of the company. 

We will work closely with the organization to replace Sharon Applegate who has done a great job leading DEAF, Inc., and leaves with a legacy of success.

Our goal is to engage the community at a point in which they feel support and trust for the Executive Director search process.

The search timeline looks like, as follows, we will engage the community where they will be asked to respond to a survey to describe the type of individual that they wish to see hired as the new Executive Director.

Please visit the website to complete the survey, the deadline is March 31, 2021.

We will also have focus groups this month from three groups to support a dialogue about what kind of person they want to see hired as the new Executive Director.

I will work closely with Kellynette Gomez on the facilitation of the DEAF, Inc. focus group process. The three focus groups will be comprised of the community, board, and staff.

Upon the completion of the focus groups, in April we will release a prospectus that will include the job description, leader profile, and organization profile to explain DEAF, Inc’s purpose and services.

Once the prospectus is posted, we will have a national search process to recruit highly qualified leaders within the community to apply for the role of Executive Director. The deadline will be approximately the end of June 2021.

In July 2021 we will have interviews with candidates and the search committee will discuss who they wish to recommend as the finalists to the board for a final decision.

I look forward to working closely with the community, board, and staff on the search for DEAF, Inc’s new Executive Director.

Thank you!