The Nonprofit Administration Program is very excited to share that our very own Katy Fuerst has been selected as Feeding Medina County's new Executive Director! We are immensely proud and delighted to share her accomplishments with the community.
Katy has been a dedicated nonprofit professional in Northeast Ohio since 2008. Her career began at her local animal shelter where she worked while she finished her undergraduate degree at Cleveland State University, studying sociology. Katy has consistently sought positions to advance social justice. She has worked as a Job Retention Specialist at El Barrio and with CHN Housing Specialists, working in foreclosure prevention and homeownership counseling. In 2015, Katy realized she wanted to do more to impact the issues facing our community and embarked on her journey to find a leadership position. She accepted a position at HFLA of Northeast Ohio in 2016 as their Director of Programming and Community Engagement.
A few years later, Katy began to research graduate schools – on her list the Masters of Nonprofit Administration program at John Carroll! She considered graduate school to be the next step in her journey to secure an executive leadership position.
"I felt "at home" the minute I arrived on JCU's campus, in the early spring of 2019. I was so impressed by the enthusiasm of Dani Robbins, the Director of the Nonprofit Administration Program, and her positive attitude about returning to school--even though I completed my undergraduate degree ten years ago and now had three children under the age of ten! I applied immediately after meeting with her and began taking courses in May. Dani has provided immense support to me--personally and professionally--throughout my time in the program, as I know, she does for all students in the MNA program." Katy says that the Nonprofit Administration program gave her a "deep dive" into all aspects of nonprofit management, in addition to the newfound confidence she needed to go after executive roles.
Katy was hired as the Executive Director of Feeding Medina County (FMC) in November. Feeding Medina County is a nonprofit whose mission is to "educate, engage, and lead our community in creating an environment where no one goes hungry.” With a focus on eradicating hunger and food insecurity, FMC’s core programs include Staples for Seniors and Weekender Bags for children, and monthly community food distributions. Katy said, "I am thrilled to have found an executive position in the community where I live, and I am excited to create new corporate and nonprofit partnerships and increase community support of our mission."
Katy also added, "My aspirations are to make Feeding Medina County the premier nonprofit in our county and to mentor young professionals in the nonprofit sector. I would like to advocate for change within our sector, particularly regarding the salaries and benefits of nonprofit employees, and I hope to one day write a book about my experiences in the field."
Again, please join us in congratulating Katy on this milestone in her career. We are very proud and honored to be part of her journey. Katy truly is an “unapologetic social justice leader!”
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