Nathan Lee / Strategy and Sequence

Nathan Lee has restructured programs his entire career. Strategy and sequence are his forte. Vision is a given. This is a professional who sees the big picture as well as the process for making it happen. And he knows how to equip a team.

With his straightforward sensibilities, it’s no surprise that Nathan would charge ahead with the restructuring of an organization he spent more than a decade serving… even if it did result in the elimination of his own position for the greater good of efficiency.

Nathan is accustomed to forging opportunity. Once again he would build relationships and seek the win-win…

Inspiration and Mobilization

As with his many years of mobilizing, training and inspiring leaders and volunteers in well-organized fashion, Nathan embarked on the job search with a clear understanding of his skills and wishes.

He started on the spot in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Then he progressed to a national search. It wasn’t long before he keyed in on Fresno, where he had spent a couple summers visiting and working. Most important, this is where he has family. He came to see it as an ideal place to live and raise his kids.

Seeking executive search firms, he found the BennettFrost website and made contact with lead recruiter Karena Farmer. “BennettFrost projected an image that built confidence from my perspective as a candidate,” he says. “It was very personal and not like a national firm. They have a personal touch, and yet they have the quality, too.”

He soon made a visit from Minnesota to strengthen local connections, taking part in informal discussions with community leaders that Karena had arranged for him.

The Executive Director position with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) was on the table early on, Nathan recalls. One glitch: the organization had set a grant writing record as its top priority. Like Nathan, Karena sees opportunity and possibility. She knew that while Nathan did not bring direct grant writing experience to the table, he had the skills for what the task, and the position, needed.

Leap of Faith

Nathan and his family took the leap of faith, moving to Fresno prior to the actual job offer. “We were trusting BennettFrost to come through,” he said. “Karena did a good job of keeping things moving, and she was great in giving me an idea of what to expect.”

Within a month, Nathan was immersed in his trademark restructuring for CASA. He describes his approach: slowly, substantially, and with reassurance. He is no stranger to change and success, and yet in his voice there is a very fresh and energized excitement over all that is being accomplished.

Wind in the Sails

"The wind is in the sails,” Nathan says. "We get pleasant surprises all the time; it seems like weekly we have a new opportunity.”

“It takes a lot of work, but there are good people here.” Some of these people also have come via BennettFrost, including his own assistant. “We stumbled into a diamond,” he says of her. And of yet another temp who is the most recent “ace” – “We’re going to try to keep her, too.”