Ann Kenworthy was appointed interim executive director of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations last week.
She replaces Peter Berns, the association?s first executive director, who served for 16 years. Berns recently left Maryland Nonprofits to assume the position of executive director of The Arc of the United States, the world?s largest community-based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kenworthy is expected to serve as interim executive director for six to nine months during Maryland Nonprofits? search for a permanent executive director.
How did you get connected with Maryland Nonprofits? I?m affiliated with Transition Management Consulting, which is based in Washington, D.C. This is the fifth organization that I will have worked with on an interim basis, after the Entomological Society of America, The Obesity Society, the Deafness Research Foundation and the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
Is it difficult to step into a brand-new work setting for a short term? It?s an exhilarating challenge. It?s understanding the organization ? the people, the board, the vision and mission. I love doing it, putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get an overall view of the association and its operations.
I?ll be responsible for the overall management of the organization, including the financial management and the relationship with the board of directors.
What do you like so far about the organization? I love how committed everyone is to the mission. It?s truly inspiring to work with a group that?s so dedicated.
What?s the hardest part of serving as an interim leader? I?ve said that saying goodbye is the hardest part of the job. But the most challenging thing is to take in all the information so quickly to get a true picture of the organization.
