Michael J. Nyenhuis was recently named CEO of AmeriCares in Stamford, replacing a man who was loved by his staff and who helped the nonprofit grow its humanitarian oomph fivefold.
One might call that having big shoes to fill.
Two months into his new job, however, Nyenhuis said he feels lucky. He”™s enjoying a fairy tale-like leadership transition from former CEO Curt Welling in which he doesn”™t need to clean up any messes. The company”™s founder, Bob Macauley, and Welling built a rock solid company, Neynhuis said.
“I get to come into AmeriCares and take it to the next level of growth, expand our bases of support and find ways to do more,” Nyenhuis said. “The gift for me is that I don”™t have to spend time fixing things but instead spend time thinking about how we can do more”¦We can do more and we should do more.”
AmeriCares is one of the world”™s largest global charities, delivering medical supplies domestically and overseas. The groups”™ efforts focus on recovery post natural disasters, as well as support in areas of the world in extreme poverty or in the midst of political conflicts. The organization distributes roughly $500 million per year in medical supplies to more than 90 countries, including Haiti, Japan, Sri Lanka and India.
Nearly all of the nonprofit”™s medical supplies are donated by major pharmaceutical companies such as Merck & Co. Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, Mylan Inc.
When Macauley left in 2002, the then 20-year-old nonprofit had disbursed a total $2 billion in aid around the world. But by the time Welling left just months ago, the organization had disbursed more than $11 billion in aid.
AmeriCares officials say the organization distinguishes itself from other emergency relief organizations in that it doesn”™t simply deliver medical and relief supplies after natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti or 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. It often stays for years thereafter, helping communities restore and rebuild health care services.
For the last 14 years, Nyenhuis led a similar Georgia-based charity named MAP International. As CEO, he increased the nonprofit”™s annual revenues from $100 million to $400 million and increased the number of health programs to include field offices in 10 countries.
While at MAP, Nyenhuis said he spearheaded several public health programs to address specific communities”™ health problems, which is why be believes he was selected as AmeriCares new CEO.
AmeriCares is currently in the process of developing a model to address chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes at seven of its clinics based in the United States. The nonprofit supports 650 clinics domestically, including four it operates in Connecticut, which serve uninsured and underinsured patients. A chronic disease program would help pinpoint one of the largest sources of need, Nyenhuis said.
Nyenhuis said his work previously had not focused within the United States, which is one aspect he”™s looking forward to working on with AmeriCares the most. AmeriCares delivers more aid to the U.S. than any other country.
“It”™s an important part of our work that we serve people at home as well as around the world,” Nyenhuis said. “Macauley”™s vision, of seeing people suffer and doing something about it still runs in our DNA today.”
During a recent trip to an AmeriCares facility in Haiti, Nyenhuis met a 19-year-old man whom AmeriCares had helped receive prosthetic legs to. With those legs, he”™ll be able to work and have a life with more of a semblance of normalcy, Nyenhuis said.
Some might be tempted to ignore the world”™s problems, he said.
“We have so much need here (in the United States), but the world is too small and we”™re too smart to turn a blind eye away from people in these communities,” Nyenhuis said. “You won”™t meet every need. The problems around the world are too huge”¦But it matters for the ones you can make a difference for.”
