Stephanie Hakulin, President, National Association of the Deaf: The National Association of the Deaf is partnering with Innivee Strategies, a Deaf-led firm specializing in leadership and organizational development, to lead the search for our next Chief Executive Officer. This collaboration reflects our strong commitment to serving our community with full transparency and accountability. As mentioned in a previous update, we have decided to restart the CEO search process to ensure we have broad community support and the strongest possible foundation for this critical leadership transition. We are excited to find a visionary leader with a proven track record and demonstrated qualifications to advance our mission to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human and linguistic rights of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States and its territories. This person will also champion greater inclusion, accessibility, and empowerment for the community we serve.
Shane Feldman, CEO, Innivee Strategies: Innivee Strategies is honored to partner with the National Association of the Deaf in this important process. This effort will strengthen the organization’s leadership and its ability to serve the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing community nationwide. The new Chief Executive Officer will bring nonprofit leadership, governance, financial management, and fundraising expertise, and will serve as a key leader in elevating advocacy, policy, and programs that build a substantial future for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals across the country. NAD serves a diverse community-from native ASL users to those who became deaf or hard of hearing later in life, spanning all ages, locations, communication preferences, and intersecting identities. We invite you to participate in this process. Your input will help us identify a leader who understands and can address our community’s needs. Together, we can ensure NAD continues to be the premier civil rights organization for Deaf and hard of hearing Americans.
Melissa Elmira Yingst, Consultant, Innivee Strategies: Building trust with the community is essential to our search process. We are committed to an open and collaborative approach that includes the diverse perspectives of NAD’s membership and the broader community. We will engage the community by:
- Distributing a community survey to gather input on the qualities desired in the next Chief Executive Officer
- Conducting focus groups with community members, NAD staff, and board members
- Creating a leadership profile informed by community feedback
- Supporting each group in their decision-making processes
- Providing regular updates on the progress of search
We at Innivee Strategies look forward to working with you.
Stephanie Hakulin: As Board President of NAD, I am personally overseeing our commitment to finding an exceptional leader who will strengthen our organization and advance our mission. The Board and I recognize that selecting the right Chief Executive Officer is one of the most important decisions we will make for NAD’s future success and sustainability. I strongly believe that community inclusion must be part of our selection process. Our community has been waiting patiently for updates, and you deserve a search process that values openness and strong community involvement. As your Board President, I am fully committed to ensuring that you receive regular information about the search process and timely updates on our progress. The strength of NAD depends on continued community engagement, and I am dedicated to fostering this partnership as we move NAD forward together.
Text at end of video: Your perspective toward the next NAD CEO leader matters by sharing your insights through this survey. All input will be gathered in the leadership profile that will guide our search.
Use this link to access and complete the survey – deadline: December 14, 2025.
Stay Updated on the NAD CEO Search: Find the most current information at https://www.nad.org/ceosearch.