President & CEO - Kathy's House

Spano Pratt•Wauwatosa, WI

15h•Onsite

About The Position

Kathy’s House is a nonprofit hospital guest house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing lodging and a supportive environment for families facing serious illness. It serves guests of all ages receiving care at any area hospital, with over 1,500 guests annually traveling more than 50 miles. The organization relies on philanthropy to ensure no family is turned away due to inability to pay. Since 2001, Kathy's House has operated from its current 38-private room facility at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center since 2021, a result of a $12 million capital campaign. The facility operates 24/7/365, offering communal living spaces and a caring environment where guests find mutual support, cleanliness, thoughtful design, and compassion. It aims to be a national model in hospital guest housing. The demand for affordable, supportive lodging is rising. The President & CEO provides strategic leadership, ensures a positive culture, and advances Kathy’s House's mission. This role reports to the board of directors and is responsible for overall management and general operations, including guest services, safety, business development, fundraising, marketing, finance, HR, and facilities. The President & CEO ensures service quality, a safe environment, and fiscal solvency, while empowering staff and fostering compassionate service. The role is also external, serving as the primary ambassador and lead communicator, developing high-level relationships, and generating support. They foster collaborations with referral sources, funding sources, community partners, and state/national groups.

Requirements

5 or more years of nonprofit experience in a strategic leadership role overseeing fundraising, programs, facilities, and staff.
Experience creating organizational vision.
Experience cultivating board and donor relations.
Demonstrated financial acumen.
Demonstrated success in leading within the nonprofit sector, preferably within a healthcare setting or with a vulnerable population.
Demonstrated success in charting a clear vision and course with measurable progress to goals.
Demonstrated success in delivering programs in a facility, ensuring needs and high standards are met to support the mission.
Demonstrated success in fundraising; comfortable soliciting sponsorships, donors and stewarding gifts.
Demonstrated success in budgeting and financial stewardship.
Demonstrated success in building relationships, partnerships, and mutually beneficial alliances in and outside the community.
Demonstrated success in working with nonprofit governance boards, as well as knowledge of governance practices.
Leads with empathy and inspiration while fostering accountability and healthy culture.
Creates trust, psychological safety, and open dialogue.
Manages through transitions and builds alignment.
Retains, motivates, and develops strong staff.
Leads crisis management efforts by remaining calm under pressure, responding decisively to emergent situations, and ensuring clear, timely communication to maintain safety and operational continuity.
Ability to set a clear vision and translate it into actionable, measurable results.
Drives expansion (“how to grow”) while protecting mission quality.
Executes strategic plan effectively.
Balances long-term vision with operational realities.
Exceptional ability to build trust and influence across stakeholders.
Engages board, staff, partners, and community.
Strengthens key partnerships (e.g., Froedtert/ThedaCare).
Builds credibility quickly and authentically.
Ability to secure resources and align finances with growth strategy.
Leads fundraising (especially major gifts from individual donors and partners).
Connects mission impact to compelling funding narratives.
Ensures financial sustainability during expansion.
Clear, compelling communicator who is highly visible internally and externally.
Articulates vision, strategy, and impact.
Active listener and persuasive storyteller.
Serves as a strong public-facing ambassador.

Responsibilities

Advocate passionately for Kathy's House mission within the community and serve as the primary spokesperson.
Ensure the organization continues to promote the mission of Kathy’s House to provide superior services and programs in a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment for its guests.
Execute guest and provider surveys to measure the satisfaction level of the programs and services offered by Kathy’s House.
Use guest and provider input to explore and potentially develop new service options that support patient and caregiver wellness and growth for Kathy’s House.
Broaden and deepen partner mission awareness and community commitment by leveraging area events and participation in various local, state, regional and/or national associations and committees.
Build and lead a high-performing team that aligns with the mission, values, and organizational priorities of Kathy’s House.
Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, and excellence that attracts and retains the very best talent and volunteers.
Effectively recruit, develop, and retain team members who achieve performance goals and advance organizational objectives.
Lead succession planning efforts to anticipate and align talent and staffing needs.
Lead the recruitment and engagement of corporate, community, and healthcare partners to support Kathy’s House.
Serve as the face of Kathy’s House in the community, building awareness around Kathy’s House name.
Lead major funding initiatives to secure and retain diverse revenue streams with a focus on establishing credibility, trust, and innovative leadership.
Ensure front-of-mind awareness through consistent communications with current and new healthcare providers.
Oversee the general operations of Kathy’s House to include staffing, guest services, property maintenance, safety and security, business contracts, IT, and accounting functions.
Assist in the day-to-day operations of Kathy’s House as needed and maintain relationships and interaction with guests.
Develop, manage, and oversee the organizational budget; ensure and accurately report on financial sustainability through disciplined budgeting, management, forecasting, and resource allocation.
Oversee funder reporting to ensure accurate messaging, tracking to goals, and timely submission to meet requirements.
Monitor hospitality and non-profit industry developments to mitigate risks and capitalize on strategic opportunities.
Provide strategic and operational oversight of a 24/7 healthcare/hospitality environment.
Partner with the Board to ensure strong governance and alignment to mission.
Recruit, engage, and develop a high-performing Board that reflects the strategic partnerships and leadership attributes needed to scale and sustain Kathy's House impact.
Collaborate with the Board Chair, prepare and lead highly effective board meetings to advance strategic discussion and decision-making.
Lead the execution of a visionary, data-informed strategic plan that aligns with Kathy’s House needs and priorities.
Cultivate a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization.