AMHERST — With Mindy Domb expected to leave her position as executive director at Amherst Survival Center to become the next state representative for the 3rd Hampshire District, a search is underway for her successor.
The executive board for the Survival Center recently posted an advertisement on the center’s website, as well a staking out paid and unpaid ads in other publications, informing people about the coming vacancy in a position that provides “vision, leadership and oversight of the administrative, financial and programmatic operations of the organization.”
J Lynn Griesemer, president of the Board of Directors, said the challenge will be to find someone in the same caliber as Domb, who has been at the helm for five years, her predecessor Cheryl Zoll, who became executive director of Tapestry Health in 2014, and Evangeline “Vangie” Wescott, who was in the role for the first 30 years.
“We’ve been extremely blessed with excellent executive directors,” Griesemer said.
The board has set Oct. 18 as the date by which it would like to get resumes, cover letters and three references from people interested in the job, though this is not a hard deadline.
“We’ll continue to receive resumes until the position is filled,” Griesemer said.
The hope is to have someone in place on or before the end of November or early Decmebeer, which Griesemer said is when Domb is expected to begin a period of getting acquainted with the Legislature before she is seated in January. This will allow sufficient time for Domb to scale back her work at the center.
Griesemer said the executive board has prepared for conducting a search since Domb’s announcement in March about running for the Legislature, and agreed to let Domb take time off without pay during her campaign. The staff members filled in admirably during any of these absences, Griesemer said.
A search committee will handle the initial screenings of applications and conduct phone interviews with some candidates, before bringing two to four finalists for on-site interviews. The Board of Directors will make the decision on who should be hired.
When Domb took over in June 2013, it was at a time of stability for the organization and shortly after it had opened its new building at 138 Sunderland Road. Since then, Griesemer said the center has only gotten to a better place.
“I think it’s one of the most solid non-profit organizations out there,” Griesemer said, crediting what she said are outstanding board and staff members, and terrific volunteers.
The $2.5 million capital campaign to build the new location, and move from a town-owned building at 1200 North Pleasant St. in late 2012, meant an increase in the donor base and left the center with no debt, as the building is owned by the center. The Survival Center continues to rely on community good will and more than 280 volunteers per week to handle various tasks, whether working in the kitchen, conducting health clinics or doing “food rescue.” And programs have expanded, with a job placement program run the past few years.
“It’s a terrific opportunity for the right person interested in human services and interested in helping people,” Griesemer said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
