Category: Client Placement – Featured

Our Herd Freed Hartz executive search team was honored to partner with OlyCAP, on a nationwide retained search to find their new Executive Director in Seattle, WA.

 Founded 55 years ago, OlyCAP (Olympic Community Action Programs) has helped people build resilient communities by providing equitable access to solutions and opportunities throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties. The agency today employs 106 dedicated professionals overseeing dozens of programs with a single common thread: service to the community. 

These programs include:

Housing Services and Solutions: Offering 4 shelters, 3 permanent supporting housing locations, and homeless prevention, rapid rehousing and supportive housing services.

Early Childhood Education: Supporting Early Start/Head Start/ECEAP programs.

Economic Empowerment: Facilitating Guaranteed Income Program and FCS Supported Employment.

Home and Energy Resources: Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization.

Nutrition: Basic food outreach, Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and a Mobile Food Market

Senior Focused Services: Arts & Minds Memory Wellness Program, Encore! Adult Daycare Center and Americorps Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

Brought on in late July, Morgan introduced herself to the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners (read full article here):

“OlyCAP was without leadership for several months,” Morgan said. “That was both at an executive level and at a fiscal lead level. So, there’s quite a few things that just need to be firmed up. I worked immediately to bring in an outsourced organization to manage our fiscal leadership. Our finances are so incredibly complex with all of the different funding sources and reporting requirements, and all of that stuff.“

“To have someone who is really knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with that kind of complexity, I think is important for us. The organization that we went with is CLA. They’re kind of big boys in the accounting world.”

OlyCAP also will be developing its 2025 budget with CLA, Morgan said.

“My priority for the first few months, I think, is going to be to fill all of the key positions that have been vacant for some time,” Morgan said, “and to really dial in on the fiscal side of things, to bring that around.”

Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour noted that, as a first-term commissioner, she has been amazed by how many projects OlyCAP is involved with.

“We have a really wide scope of service. We do,” Morgan said. “Part of my philosophy that I’m trying to bring to the community at large, every time I meet someone to speak with them for the first time, is really to emphasize the partnership side of the work that OlyCAP does. We don’t want to repeat services that are already being done well by someone else, if we can support them.”

“Maybe we as a CAP agency have access to some money that they can’t get. We’re really about partnerships and collaborations and working together. We are here for the community and to help people.”

Learn more about Herd Freed Hartz’s track record:
Non Profit practice
CEO / President practice

Our Herd Freed Hartz executive search team was honored to partner with Ooni, on a nationwide retained search to find their new President, N. America in Austin, TX.

Ooni launched the home pizza cooking revolution more than ten years ago and, today, Ooni is recognized as the global brand leader.

This startup success story began with a spark of an idea ‑ borne of our founders’ frustration in not being able to cook high-quality pizza at home. Launched from a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, Ooni has gone on to achieve global success, with $200M+ global revenues, a category‑leading range of pizza oven products, and a team of skilled, passionate people in different markets around the world.

Ooni customers love being cooking heroes for creating authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas in 60 seconds! You will find their products in top retailers including: Lowe’s, Ace, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Williams Sonoma, Nordstrom, Sur La Table, REI, World Market, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops.

Ooni is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Under the direction of co-founders, the husband-and-wife team of Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland, they remain privately-held without any external investment. And, as a B‑Certified Corporation Ooni donates 1% back to the planet, exemplifying our triple bottom line approach. In 2020, they were recognized as the UK’s Entrepreneur of the Year; and received “Best Places to Work” awards in 2022 and 2024.

At Ooni, they have always been driven by huge ambition. Not content with our historic success, Ooni now has their sights on the horizon – trailblazing cooking products that feed both people and planet.

They recognize that in order to achieve this goal, they need to continue to build a stronger base of operations to grow and lead the pizza oven category in Ooni’s #1 market – the US and Canada. 

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Stephen Krauss to the Ooni family as President of North America,” said Kristian Tapaninaho, Founder and Co-CEO of Ooni. “Stephen’s history of driving growth and his forward-thinking vision fit perfectly with Ooni’s mission to create moments of joy and connection through trailblazing products that elevate the cooking experience. He’s the ideal person to help us strengthen our roots, elevate our innovation, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at Ooni.” Read full Ooni Press Release

Learn more about Herd Freed Hartz’s track record:
Consumer & Retail practice
CEO / President practice
Family Business practice