Former YWCA Dayton CEO to become president of Community Shelter Board in Columbus
After a months-long search, Community Shelter Board in Columbus has selected its new CEO.
Shannon Isom will become president and CEO of the nonprofit group aimed at preventing homelessness on Jan. 9. She will replace Michelle Heritage, who announced in March she was stepping down after 12 years. Heritage will be moving to New York City to join her wife, Tanisha Robinson, who has taken on a role there.
“Shannon has a 20-year track record leading strategic teams,” said Community Shelter Board chair Susan Carroll-Boser in a news release. “Shannon will lead our community through economic and regional changes to population size and housing market conditions and position Community Shelter Board to make meaningful impact for people facing homelessness. She has the vision and collaborative skills to guide Community Shelter Board into a new era of achievement.”
Previously, Isom was the president and CEO of YWCA Dayton, a position she held for nine years. During her tenure, Isom increased the operational budget by 196% and secured the first $1 million biennial appropriation for the Ohio Council of YWCA.
Isom has strong ties to the Columbus nonprofit. She started her professional career with the Columbus YWCA, as a manager of a trial program in conjunction with the national YWCA organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure marginalized women had access to breast and cervical screenings. The screenings are now a staple for communities in the area, according to the YWCA website.
Isom also worked in the health care industry, holding positions at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Miami Valley Hospital, Premier Health Partners, and CareSource in sales, business development, systems integration, and business and clinical integration.
“I’m excited to join an engaged system like Community Shelter Board that makes room at the table for public and private-sector stakeholders, practitioners, and people facing homelessness," she said in the news release.
Isom currently lives with her family in Dayton and will relocate to Columbus in the spring.
“Shannon’s passion and experience align well with our mission," Heritage said. "I'm thrilled we have found such a competent leader to take the organization into its next chapter."
mwalker@dispatch.com
@micah_walker701
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former YWCA Dayton CEO to become president of Community Shelter Board
