Need: Find a talented leader for youth development organization
Service: Executive search
“We first approached Jim [Yunker] for some advice about how to go about a search for a new Executive Director,” recalls Tom Torre, then Chapter President of The First Tee’s Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Chapter. “That’s when we learned about The Yunker Group’s service offerings—and that they have 20+ years experience in Executive Search for nonprofits. So, it quickly became clear that, considering Jim’s relationship with the chapter and his expertise in this area, The Yunker Group would be a good fit for what we needed.”
Seeing the firm’s team at work reinforced Tom’s sense that The First Tee had been right to hire The Yunker Group: “They’re an extremely professional organization with a very well documented and demonstrated approach that delivers results. Their connection in the community—and their ability to effectively broaden the search through their own networks—ensured that we had the best chance of finding the best possible candidate.”
For Alicia Lawrence, successful candidate for the position of Executive Director, The Yunker Group’s warmth and passion during the process helped recruit her to the position. “Jim and Jenny [Weiglein] are fantastic,” says Alicia. “They were easy to work with—very warm and welcoming and able to answer any questions I had. It was interesting to see how committed and fired up they were about the process. That—and the questions they asked—really helped solidify for me that The First Tee was where I wanted to be. I knew that when I applied, but the process helped give me even more confidence that this is the right place for me.”
Tom Torre reinforced that this, indeed, was an area in which The Yunker Group’s expertise really shone. “It’s all about matching the right person,” he explained. “You can get a very talented individual who has different goals and objectives. So, I’m sure there were other people in the process who were talented enough and passionate enough to be our Executive Director, but the beauty of what The Yunker Group does is to find that match—so that the organization’s goals and the candidate’s goals are in alignment.”
Board leader Kevin McMurray and a member of the Search Committee also weighed in to share how pleased he — and the organization — are with the outcome: “I feel extremely good about the process and our final selection. Alicia’s energy, passion, commitment and vision will be a driving force for The First Tee doing even more in terms of positively impacting the youth in our community.” He added, “I’ve already told several of my colleagues who serve on non-profit boards what a great job The Yunker Group has done for us.”
Through the game of golf, The First Tee® of Greater Cincinnati and Northern provides programs to build character, instill life-enriching values and promote healthy choices for boys and girls, ages 7 to 18. The chapter serves the Ohio counties of Hamilton and Clermont and in Northern Kentucky, Boone, Campbell and Kenton.