Kathy Wright, Nevus Outreach CEO
"On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevus Outreach, I am very pleased to welcome Kathy Wright as our new CEO," reports Anne Houseal, Nevus Outreach Chair. "The unanimous decision to hire Kathy was made after a search and selection process conducted the past few months. When Mark told us of his decision to retire 1 july 2017, we wanted to make sure the person following in his footsteps would be able to make a smooth transition for us and position us for continued growth. Kathy is a great fit for both of those objectives."
Long History of Involvement
"Many of us already know Kathy since she has a long history of involvement with Nevus Outreach, as both a staff member and a volunteer," said Houseal. "In addition to her work with us, Kathy has served organizations for many years in executive leadership positions, fundraising roles and as a consultant. Besides her wealth or experience in nonprofit management, she has a real passion for our mission and a vision for the future."
Wright served as the first Executive Director for Nevus Outreach between 2001-2002. She came on board as Development Director between 2006-2009 and has attended six conferences; twice as a staff member and four times as a volunteer. "I was passionate about giving all the people who attended conferences the freedom to connect with each other and attend the educational sessions. Volunteering to handle background tasks, often with members of my family helping too, freed-up parents to enjoy the full converence experience," says Wright.
Wright doesn’t have a family member with a giant nevus, but she knows hundreds of people who do. “In 2001, when I first joined Nevus Outreach as Executive Director, communication was much different. Not everyone used the Internet, so we had paper copies of the registry that people had filled out,” Wright recalls. “Kevin Williams, one of the founders of Nevus Outreach, spent many hours designing and building the first online registry. It was a heroic effort and revolutionary for those days! One of my first tasks was to sort through the data and figure out just how many people with a nevus had found us. That number, in October of 2001, was 308. I’m sure we are around 2000 by now!” Continuing to reminisce about the earlier days, Wright remembers, “The lifeline phone and the Yahoo listserve group were the main ways people were able to get answers to their questions. Not like today, when they can hop on Facebook and get many responses. Kathy Stewart answered the lifeline phone calls and calmed many a parents’ fears. Board members all pitched in handling various tasks at their homes across the country. The grassroots beginning and growth of Nevus Outreach is something many people have been a part of and are proud of - as they should be!"
Kathy Wright, with her daughter, Kimberly and granddaughter, Lilly at the 2012 Nevus Outreach Conference
Leadership, Insight and Wisdom
With over 30 years of experience, Kathy Wright has provided leadership, insight and wisdom to businesses and nonprofit organizations. She has served on nonprofit boards, including roles as Board President and Committee Chair. Wright has led organizations as both executive director and development director and began a consulting and coaching firm in 1995. She holds a University of Wisconsin-Madison degree in Business Management and a University of Oklahoma Master of Human Relations with an emphasis on Training and Organization Development. Wright is a Certified Professional Coach having completed rigorous training through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching and is an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner. She is also a trained facilitator for both DDI and Achieve Global and is a certified consultant for the Peter F. Drucker Foundation’s Organization Self-Assessment Tool. Wright gained much of her experience in consulting and training through her firm, Kathy M. Wright Enterprises, and in her role as COO of The Institute for Conversational Fundraising. She also co-founded Two Roads Institute, a training firm specializing on capacity building for nonprofits.
“I am thrilled to be able to return to Nevus Outreach as CEO,” said Wright. “I love Nevus Outreach, the work this organization does, the dedication of the board, and most importantly, the people we serve. It has been 8 years since I left my position as Development Director and a lot has changed since 2009. I look forward to meeting all the new people and to working with the board and staff as we look to the future. And, I can’t wait to help plan the 20-year celebration at the conference in 2018!”
Wright is mom to Kimberly and Kevin (both of whom have volunteered at Nevus Outreach conferences) and Granny to Lilly who just turned 6. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, reading, sewing, hiking, traveling, swimming, cycling and has recently found a new passion—pickleball!
“Mark Beckwith’s passion and vision in leading Nevus Outreach the past 14 years has anchored a remarkable foundation for this organization” stated Houseal. “As one of the six founders, we thank him for his tireless efforts and numerous contributions since its inception”.
“Please join me, along with the Board of Directors of Nevus Outreach, in extending a warm welcome to the next CEO, Kathy!” says Houseal.