Holly Freedman, who was recently appointed director of the National Executive Service Corp.”™s (NESC) newly opened branch for Westchester and Rockland counties, has first-hand knowledge of the value of the NESC”™s services. A year ago, when she was president and CEO of the Rockland County Economic Development Corp. (RCED), the agency hired NESC to do an organizational assessment.
“Everyone on the staff and board was interviewed,” said Freedman. “The board was very happy with the report. It was a very good process.”
So good that Freedman, who”™d been with the nonprofit RCED for 13 years, became interested in the NESC. Founded in 1977, the nonprofit, which has 34 branches throughout the U.S., provides consulting services to nonprofits, including fiscal management, strategic and business planning, leadership training, human resources and fundraising. Most of NESC”™s volunteer consultants are retired business people and professionals, many formerly in senior management.
NESC”™s clients range from large hospitals to one- or two-person arts groups. There is a modest fee, which helps support a portion of NESC”™s expenses (the rest is covered by donations).
NESC has long had a strong presence in the metropolitan New York City area, plus New Jersey, Long Island and central and southwestern Connecticut. But it didn”™t have a branch in Westchester, even though there are hundreds, if not thousands, of nonprofits in the county, along with 600 or so qualifying organizations farther north in Rockland. So it was looking to expand.
Meanwhile, Freedman had long experience working at nonprofits in child care services and in the arts. She also taught a course on not-for-profit management at Long Island University in 2003.
Freedman also possessed solid experience reaching out to businesses, including a stint as executive director of the Rockland Industrial Development Agency. She also was a founding member of Leadership Rockland and has sat on the board of directors of the New York State Economic Development Corp. Her experience and success has been recognized by awards from numerous organizations, including the Rockland County Girl Scout Association, Leadership Rockland and the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center.
A perfect match
When NESC learned of Freedman”™s interest, it offered her the opportunity to open a new branch.
“We were very impressed with the RCED. It”™s well focused and has achieved a history of success, so we were delighted and very pleased that Holly was thinking of moving on to a new career,” said Stephen Koller, NESC”™s vice president for education and government sectors, who also happens to be the consultant who worked with RCED on its organizational revamping. “She has excellent professional skills and also is extremely knowledgeable about the nonprofit community in Westchester and Rockland counties.”
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Freedman, who officially started April 16, is opening an office at the Westchester County Association Inc. in White Plains. She and her colleagues at NESC have already spoken to a group of 20 or so nonprofits at the Institute for Non Profits in Rockland County, run by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Since then, several nonprofits have called, as well as individuals interested in becoming NESC consultants.
She has arranged another meeting for June 14 at the White Plains Public Library, sponsored by JP Morgan/Chase, in which NESC senior management and consultants will speak to an audience of Westchester nonprofits about the goals of the new branch.
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