Nonprofits, at the helm: New execs at Mission House, Ability Housing, Boy Scouts, others

Mission House, a day center for homeless people at Jacksonville's beaches, has named Lucas Seilhymer as executive director following a national search.

He begins his new duties July 17, succeeding Carina Saladino, who departed last year, and interim leader Michaele McAvoy. He also is one of among many new changes in Northeast Florida's nonprofit sector.

Seilhymer has been CEO of Project Success of Vermilion County in Danville, Ill., a nonprofit that empowers children and families through homework assistance, tutoring, other academic enrichment programs and credit recovery. The organization has 18 sites and one community center serving about 1,000 children and families each year.

"It’s an honor to have been selected to serve the men and women who are affected by homelessness in the Jacksonville beaches community," Seilhymer said. "I’m thrilled to be relocating to the area and I’m already humbled by the outpouring of community support for Mission House."

Prior to Project Success, Seilhymer served for five years as executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Vermillion and Edgar counties. The nonprofit provides judge-appointed volunteers to advocate for children in foster care. Earlier he was in the AmeriCorps VISTA — Volunteers in Service to America — program with the Star of the Sea Foundation food pantry in South Florida.

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"We’re confident that with his previous experience and immense skill set, he will guide the organization to the next level, helping put more people on the path to independence in our community," Mission House board chairman Billy Wagner said

Seilhymer will work closely with McAvoy, who will resume her duties as associate director. She will manage daily operations, including the Crisis Care and Clinic programs, and oversee the grant process.

"We simply can’t thank Michaele enough for leading with passion, dedication and grace during this interim period," Wagner said.

Ability Housing

In another nonprofit personnel change, Ability Housing named Thomas Daly Jr. as chief operating officer. The Jacksonville-based nonprofit is a developer of affordable multifamily housing.

Daly has about 20 years of housing, finance and legal experience, including stints as chief of the city of Jacksonville's housing and community development division and manager of finance for the Downtown Investment Authority. Under his leadership, the city division developed about 1,400 new rental housing units within the urban core, and the authority brought about 1,000 new affordable, workforce, student and market-rate housing units to downtown.

He will manage Ability Housing's property development strategy, including an estimated 375 housing units expected to begin construction this year. He will also oversee its 800-plus existing apartment and scattered-site homes across the state and related programs that serve nearly 1,900 residents daily, according to the nonprofit.

Also on his list of responsibilities will be Ability Housing's business plan and financial performance.

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"Tom has significant experience in the affordable housing sector, and has been a trusted collaborator of Ability Housing for many years," President and CEO Shannon Nazworth said. "His familiarity with our projects and programs, as well as the complex legal and financial requirements of our industry, made him the perfect choice to guide our continued growth and mission fulfillment."

Prior to his city work, earlier jobs include vice president of public finance for Raymond James & Associates and two years as an attorney for Lewis, Longman, and Walker, a Florida law firm.

"Knowing what Ability Housing is all about and seeing how they build and manage housing for the greater good, made me want to be a part of its future success," Daly said.

Thrive Scholars

At Thrive Scholars, a nonprofit that supports high-achieving students of color from economically disadvantaged communities, Hannah Oberholtzer has been hired to lead its expansion into Northeast Florida.

Oberholtzer, a Jacksonville native, will launch the program to help about 60 local scholars get into and graduate from the nation's top 100 colleges.

"I am deeply invested in fostering a community of growth and opportunity for each future generation," she said. "That starts with a good educational foundation, access to resources and professional networks that otherwise may not be open to underrepresented students. I am thrilled to be a part of bringing this critical work to the betterment of our community."

Oberholtzer has experience in fundraising, strategic communications and government relations professional, most recently at City Year Jacksonville, which recruits young adults to serve a year as tutors, mentors and role models for at-risk students in urban schools. As managing director of advancement, she implemented a sustainable fundraising and marketing plan.

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About 49% of the 130,000 or so students in the Duval County school system are economically disadvantaged and 69% identify as students of color, according to Thrive Scholars. Jacksonville met Thrive’s criteria: income inequality, large numbers of high-achieving Black students, a growing economy with STEM jobs and a high resource gap.

The nonprofit was founded in Los Angeles in 2001 and has partnered locally with The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

North Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America

Another leadership update is Kelvin Williams, the new CEO of the North Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America, returning to the organization after having worked there six years earlier in his career.

He succeeds Jack Sears who retired in October after 16 years leading a council that serves 7,146 youth in 17 counties.

Williams began his Scouting leadership career with the Chattahoochee Council in Columbus, Ga., in 2001, later moving to the Northeast Georgia Council. In 2008 he came to the North Florida Council as field director, then chief operating officer.

In 2014 he became CEO for the Flint River Council in Griffin, Ga., and four years later was named deputy regional director for the Southern Region of the Boy Scouts of America, serving 87 councils in 13 states. In 2020 he became interim southern region director. But that same year, after 20 years with the Boy Scouts, Williams joined the PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc. as the senior vice president of business operations.

Ascension St. Vincent's Foundation

Ascension St. Vincent's Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Jacksonville health care system, has appointed Patrick Henry II as president.

Starting June 19, Henry will succeed Virginia Hall, who was president and chief development officer for 10 years

He led successful fundraising campaigns for nonprofit and academic medical centers such as UF Health Shands, the American Heart Association and the University of South Florida Foundation, according to the Ascension Foundation.

His new mission will be to "raise funds and awareness to support the advanced medical treatment offered in Ascension St. Vincent’s health care facilities and to help care for individuals and families who are impoverished and underinsured through our community outreach ministries," according to the foundation.

Send nonprofit news to bcravey@jacksonville.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New execs named at Boy Scouts, other Jacksonville-area nonprofits