Congratulations to KEES placement, Joe Ancell, for celebrating 7 years of service at Outreach Community Ministries! To celebrate this achievement, we recently spoke with Joe about his time as Vice President of Donor Relations and Operations and what he is looking forward to in the future.

1. What do you most remember about the search process with the KEES?

At the time, I was a general manager at a company but didn’t like the industry. So, I was putting feelers out there to get back into fundraising. I was already connected to KEES when they reached out to me about this role, as they knew I had an affinity for foster care and social work. I had never heard of Outreach Community Ministries before, but it caught my interest, and I applied. I remember the search process being very thorough, which has proven to be a good thing, with two other members of the Outreach team also being placed by KEES. I was very prepared throughout the process, having met with KEES team members several steps before interviewing with Outreach.

2. What has been your greatest achievement during your time at Outreach?

In my role, it would always be growing relationships with the community, staff, and donors. I’m proud of increasing the awareness of Outreach with the donors and connecting them to the need of the people we walk alongside and serve as an organization. Specifically, I’ve grown some of our large fundraising events to become staples in our area and the go-to events in the summer. But those things wouldn’t be successful without the relationship aspect of connecting the mission of the organization with people’s desires and hearts and being able to fill some of the needs of those we serve.

3. What is your primary goal for this next year?

We have been in a lot of transition for the last year with a new CEO replacing the founder of 40 years and adding some new positions to the Development and Operations team with that change. We’ve also been focused on our work culture and recently did all-day team-building activities. As a result, I am excited to have a full team and utilize the depth of each person’s gifts as we move forward and plan to take Outreach into the new era of serving the community. COVID has been a lot on the team and the organization, so we are all excited about the direction we’re going and moving forward.

4. What would you tell your younger self during a job search?

Don’t hold too tight to the status quo because change will be a part of your life continuously as you serve the community and your organization. So, be patient and attack each day with energy. Also, rely on the great team that has been put together around you.

Thank you, Joe, for sharing your experience and your deep commitment to the mission of Outreach. Please help us celebrate Joe by congratulating him on this amazing career milestone! We wish you and the entire Outreach Community Ministries team all the best in the year ahead!

To read more about our current placements, click here. KEES (formerly Alford Executive Search) is a non-profit executive search firm that builds diverse teams and dynamic leaders in the non-profit and public sectors. A woman owned and operated firm, KEES offers a full array of non-profit consulting services, including executive search, leadership development, interim staffing, and HR support. For more information, please visit www.kees2success.com.