UPPER MARLBORO, Md.,
July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- The Board of Directors of Melwood is pleased to announce
the appointment of Larysa Kautz as
Interim President & CEO effective July
1, 2020, following Cari
DeSantis' departure for her planned retirement. Kautz has
served on Melwood's C-Suite since 2014 and is one of Melwood's most
senior and seasoned leaders.
"Larysa has a deep understanding of every facet of Melwood's
operations. She has already made important contributions to the
success of Melwood during her tenure, including leading our
AbilityOne public policy and advocacy efforts. The Board is
confident that she will successfully lead our organization during
this time of transition, together with our newly elected Board
Chair, Don Hathway," said
Steve Martin, Chair of the Melwood
Board of Directors.
Kautz, who holds more than 17 years of corporate and nonprofit
experience, brings a broad range of skills acquired through her
leadership positions with a variety of tax-exempt organizations.
After receiving her law degrees from Yale (JD) and Georgetown (LLM), she focused her career on
affordable housing development, venture philanthropy, and advising
national and international nonprofits. As the mother of a child on
the autism spectrum, she is passionate about Melwood's mission of
inclusion.
"It's an honor to have Melwood's Board place its trust in me to
lead our dedicated staff and volunteers during this transition. I
will ensure we remain focused on our mission to serve Melwood's
most important stakeholders – our participants, employees and
federal customers. We have been forward-looking and innovative in
analyzing and adapting to the critical changes to the environment
in which we operate. We will continue to be nimble in pivoting our
operations during these unprecedented times, so we don't miss a
beat," said Kautz upon accepting the Interim President & CEO
position.
Kautz currently serves on the Virginia DBVI State Rehabilitation
Council and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board. She
has previously volunteered as a consultant for President Obama's
Office of White House Counsel and Virginia Governor Northam's Transition Team on
the Policy Council on Workforce Development. She was named one of
the 2017 Leading Women in Maryland
by The Daily Record, has been honored by the Association of
Corporate Counsel with the 2019 In-House Innovator Award, and is an
alumna of the Arlington Leadership Center for Excellence.
Kautz will be leading the $110M
nonprofit until the Board of Directors concludes the formal search
process for a permanent President & CEO.
About Melwood
Melwood is one of the largest employers of people of differing
abilities in the country, employing more than 1,600 workers –
nearly 1,000 of whom are people of differing abilities. Melwood
offers job placement, job training, life skills for independence,
and support services to more than 2,500 people each year in DC,
Maryland, and Virginia. Melwood also provides employment and
support services to veterans and active-duty military members who
have experienced service-related trauma or injury. For more
information, visit http://www.Melwood.org.
SOURCE Melwood