Help Of Ojai Hires New Chief
Wolfe chosen to head nonprofit from among 60 job applicants
By Sondra Murphy
Leadership is a crucial component to service that Help of Ojai is striving to improve.
After an extensive two-month search, Dave Neville, Help’s board chairperson, and director Kelly Randall, head of the executive director search committee, announced Monday the hiring of Terri Wolfe as Help’s new executive director.
Wolfe is an Oak View resident who comes with a broad range of professional experience and leadership skills that will address the current and future needs of Help. “I plan to provide ongoing and consistent leadership for the staff and volunteers so they can focus on the things they’re really good at,” said Wolfe. “After working with other not-for-profits around the country, I wanted to come back and do it in this community.”
Randall said that 60 applicants responded to advertisements and listings that the search committee narrowed down to 18. “The process led us to three candidates,” Randall said. “There was debate given to the desirability to hiring a local familiar with the Ojai Valley as opposed to someone from the outside who might come in and be more objective.”
Randall pointed to Wolfe’s experience with nonprofit organizations as part of her appeal. “We were looking for some specific things, real management background, someone who has experience in development, is highly ethical and has a nurturing and caring personality,” said Randall. “One of the things the agency is crying for is leadership and I’m anxious to give Terri the opportunity to do that.”
Wolfe holds a master’s degree in organizational development from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, and a bachelor of science degree from California State University-Chico. She applied for Help’s executive director position after hearing members of the board describe the needs and desires for the agency’s leadership. “I thought that it fit with my experience,” said Randall.
Wolfe founded a consulting practice in 2000 that works with not-for-profit enterprises and emerging companies. The consulting service specializes in designing and developing organizational structures. Most recently, Wolfe worked with not-for-profit health care organizations and schools throughout the western United States. She is also a former 12-year human resources executive with Patagonia, Inc.
Through her involvement with Ojai Presbyterian Church, Wolfe has participated with Whispering Oaks and Help’s Community Assistance Program, West Campus expansion efforts and brown bag lunch program. Wolfe is an Ojai Presbyterian Church session elder for personnel.
In addition to her Help responsibilities, Wolfe is currently the vice chairperson of the board and trustee for King Arthur Flour of Vermont, a position she will continue to hold.
Wolfe lives in Oak View with her husband, Tim, and two children, Taylor and Abigail. Raised in Ventura, she has lived in the Ojai Valley for the past 15 years. Wolfe will start at Help’s Little House on Monday.
After just more than a year as executive director, Help terminated J.R. Jones Nov. 4, citing in a press release, “Our goal is to continue the restoration of the organization’s fiscal health and to persevere in our efforts to broaden community support. A talented and dedicated cadre of staff and volunteers will work with the board to assure that there are no interruptions in the many services Help provides in our community.”
Help has been an institutional fixture in the Ojai Valley for 40 years, offering a range of human services from senior transportation to nutrition programs and grief counseling for teenagers. For more information about Help of Ojai programs, visit helpofojai.org, call 646-5122, or stop into Little House at 111 W. Santa Ana St. For more about projects at the West Campus, call 649-9218.
I’ve run a nonprofit for 11 years and haven’t taken a dime in salary.
Why not ask officers of Help of Ojai to do the same?
Impossible to get the job done without salaries? Consider this (December 18, 2008):
“All 13 of the state’s female senators are also mothers. Legislators in New Hampshire are accustomed to juggling numerous roles and jobs in what is essentially a volunteer position: the annual salary for state senators is just $100.”
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/profiles/2008-women-firsts/nh-senators.html
Sincerely,
Jock Doubleday
Director
Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc.
A California 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation
http://www.SpontaneousCreation.org
director@spontaneouscreation.org
Jock Doubleday is the author of
“Spontaneous Creation:
101 Reasons Not to Have Your Baby in a Hospital, Vol 1:
A Book about Natural Childbirth and the Birth of Wisdom and Power in Childbearing Women”
Speaking of ethics and finances – Is it ethical for the wife of a board member (Rena Randall, wife of Kelly Randall) to be in charge of the books??? HELP’s board recently terminated the long-standing business manager who served three ED’s satisfactorily and replace her with the wife of Mr. Randall. Is this ethical????
Let’s just hope the Board can get a grasp on what their duties are, what they are NOT and let this new ED do her job. The Board certainly made it impossible for the last two ED’s to succeed.
I’m with Patti and Lynn on this one. Help of Ojai needs an experienced manager with a strong nonprofit background to get the organization into a swift turnaround. The board members have fiduciary responsibility for the organization (and the public) and Terri will be working for them. There is no reason for Andrew or others to question their motives — the agency’s mission is to provide a service that is not being met which is exactly what it does!
Dear Friend,
Help of Ojai has been an institutional fixture in the Ojai Valley for 40 years, offering a range of human services from senior transportation to nutrition programs and grief counseling for teenagers. For more information about Help of Ojai programs, please feel free to keep your questions to yourself. We will take your donations, but we really don’t feel compelled to let you know exactly what percentage of your money will actually go to something other than payrolls or penalties on back taxes. Our donor base doesnt seem to mind that we dont provide a full accounting, so please dont remind them that we are supposed to be accountable to them. After all, we know what we are doing, so dont ask any questions. Please dont mention that our 990 isnt complete, or that we have stayed away from non-profit rating sites like Charity Navigator, because they actually require hard numbers and compare us and our expenditures to other charities within our same niche. We will continue to operate under the radar as much as possible, and hope that our donor base remains ignorant.
“To Bill Logan and the other naysayers: Just stop, be quiet and either figure out how to be a positive force or go find another place to focus your negative views (i.e., get a life).”
Nay nay nay
If you believe every thing you are told,I have a bridge in Frisco I would like to sell you!!
cheap!!!!
“We have a top-notch person here that will come in and improve things.”
I vote for a raise!!!!
“Try helping for a change.”
Then what do we need them for????
Steve
1 Feb 09 at 1:59 pm
Whatever Terri is paid it won’t be enough for the challenges she faces. As pointed out above, there are no secrets on a nonprofit’s 990, but her salary should be much less important than her qualifications and committment to the job she has taken on. Let’s admire her courage and cheer her on. After all, the one most responsible to make sure the organization can support her salary,is her. So, I for one, cheer on her youthful exuberence and wish her the best. It won’t be an easy road, but if we really want to see this organization pull itself up and thrive, which I think most of us do, we must give her the benefit of our support and stop dwelling in the negative. That said, Good luck Terri, and may your staff, board and community be with you.
To Bill Logan and the other naysayers: Just stop, be quiet and either figure out how to be a positive force or go find another place to focus your negative views (i.e., get a life). We have a top-notch person here that will come in and improve things. Try helping for a change.
Having served as the financial director and human resources manager for a large, regional non-profit arts organization, I am only too aware of the challenges that face non-profit organizations in this tough economic environment. Fiscal responsibility, ethical business practics and transparency are critical to the survival of our non-profit organizations today. For those of you who are truly concerned about the administrative costs and other financial results of operations of Help of Oja, do your homework; research the 990′s filed by the organization (these are now readily available online)for prior years. The new Executive Director salary will be a matter of public record with the next filing of the organization’s Form 990. In the meantime, I suggest that the citizens of Ojai and the supporters of Help of Ojai get behind their new executive director and embrace her enthusiasm and professionalism. As a former member of an organization which benefitted extensively from her expertise in organizational culture, I wish her the best in her new endeavor. Terri Wolfe, good luck.
Terri is and was one of the finest people I have ever worked with and I have no doubt she will do a fabulous job. She is committed to helping her community and has the management skills to make a true difference in the lives of your constituents.
Cooked books.
Resentment towards the donors asking for transparency of financial records.
Let me be clear not backing any one!
Just saying that its very clear with no q’s or a’s who is corrupt and who is not.
In response to the comment from “stop this craziness”, maybe that person just doesnt understand that especially now, when the discretionary donations of the public are so hard to come by, you absolutely need to practice fiscal responsibility. People who donate are owed full financial accountability. The purposeful non-disclosure of the salary of the highest paid employee of the organization is a terrible slap in the face of anyone who works for, volunteers for, or donates to the organization.
Its not necessary to disclose the salary!
Just look at the primary mode of transportation for the one(s) in question.
The real tell tale sign is when the non profit org goes broke!
No need for mud slinging or name calling.
To maintain donor, employee, and public confidence in a charity, most non-profits disclose what percentage of donations are spent on administrative costs. Nothing is more important than having an open book policy. How can you ask people for donations but not be willing to let those same donors know EXACTLY how thier dollars are spent. That is so sketchy. Executive Director salary disclosure is pretty standard, and if they are unwilling to disclose, then the donors, volunteers, and employees need to start asking questions why they won’t disclose.
It’s funny to see ex-patagonia employee’s dishing on Ms. Wolfe. So whoever’s out there ‘investigating’ her background, you might as well look into the dubious departure of others on this blog.
Also, what does salary have to do with anything? I mean if you really investigate what ED’s make… other than the Red Cross, you don’t make sh**.
Shouldn’t the real question here be, What happened to Help of Ojai? Why are there accusations of fraud within their Thrift Stores? (brought up at the yearly members meeting)
I mean are you people who complain here even volunteered for anything recently in Ojai? Do you even know what your local non-profit should be doing or does?
I would think getting a new ED would help clean up the organization that seems to be in trouble. Let’s get back to doing good. Turn your computer off and go do something.
how can the city of ojai give money to help of ojai and not know where the money goes.Anything dealing with gov.is public.I think ojai needs to be a little more aware of the back ground of groups they poney up money to.Ojai has “the good old boy” way it give’s out city money….
There is no reason for a non-profit to withhold an Executive Directors salary from the public. Of course, public companies must disclose officer salaries as a measure of accountability to their shareholders, but apparently this non-profit doesn’t feel compelled to be accountable to their donors. “Please, give us your money, just don’t ask us any questions about where it goes”. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if the new Executive Director was forthright enough to ask the “board” to allow her salary to be known to the volunteers, donors, employees, and all of the people that she is accountable to? Thats a shame. Its probably because her salary exceeds what most involved with the charity would deem as acceptable. It isnt confidential. It is everybody’s business.
Bill- that is a big rock to throw without any facts behind it-careful.
If Neville and Randall had investigated the circumstances surrounding Terri Wolfe’s departure from Patagonia, the words “highly ethical” would not have been used in this article.
Randall states “One of the things the agency is crying for is leadership and I’m anxious to give Terri the opportunity to do that.” I hope the board will stay out of the day to day operators and give her the chance to do this. Good Luck Terri
Both Wolfe and Randall declined to state what the executive director’s salary is. Wolfe cited confidentiality and no authorization from the board to reveal the amount.
Said Randall, “Help of Ojai’s financial documents are a matter of public record, but the executive director’s salary is not, so I’d like to reserve comment.”
what does the position pay