Dear VOLS Community,
We recently announced the bittersweet news that our Executive Director Marcia Levy will be leaving Volunteers of Legal Service to take on a new position at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. VOLS has thrived under Marcia’s leadership and has continued to do so even in these difficult times.
Today, I am pleased to welcome Ian J. Benjamin as VOLS’ Interim Executive Director as we work with Sandler Search to recruit for the permanent position.
Ian has served the New York nonprofit community for more than thirty-five years, most recently as Interim Executive Director at Riverdale Neighborhood House. A CPA based in the city, Ian retired in 2019 as a partner at RSM, where he led the northeast nonprofit audit, tax, and consulting practice. He has served higher education and nonprofit organizations including private foundations, international, membership and cultural groups, K-12 schools, and trade and professional associations. He has also served for many years in leadership roles on nonprofit boards. Currently, Ian serves as board chair of Nonprofit New York, and his other board roles have included Court Appointed Special Advocates, Governance Matters, and Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. He has also been a participant on nonprofit committees and task forces of Financial Accounting Standards Board, American Institute of CPAs, and New York State Society of CPAs.
The VOLS Board of Directors congratulates Marcia on her new position and welcomes Ian to the team. They have already had the chance to work together toward a smooth transition, and you can reach Ian at ibenjamin@volsprobono.org.
We have retained Sandler Search to help recruit VOLS’ permanent executive director as our city confronts the next phases of the COVID-19 crisis and recovery to come. Inquiries and suggestions can be directed to vols@sandlersearch.org, or you can review the full position announcement at www.sandlersearch.org.
Moving forward, VOLS will maintain our active response to the threefold crises facing New Yorkers – public health, the economy, and racial injustice – all converging at once. “New York, Together” has emerged as a motivating theme for our work, reflecting the resilience, unity, and collaborative spirit that New Yorkers demonstrate at a moment like this.
Our impact is made possible by a talented team of over 20 lawyers and nonprofit professionals who work closely with volunteers and local leaders from law firms, corporate law departments, and community-based organizations across all five boroughs. Thank you for being a part of the VOLS community when our city needs us most.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 14, at 10am for a special VOLS On the Ground virtual briefing to learn more about our emerging “New York, Together” focus, with a chance to send off Marcia, meet Ian, and hear from the VOLS staff and partners. RSVP at www.volsprobono.org/events/ontheground-oct2020.
With best regards,
Karen Artz Ash
Board Chair
Volunteers of Legal Service
| Click here (PDF) to review and please share the Executive Director position announcement for VOLS’ next executive director. |