Social Enterprise Alliance Selects New CEO

By Pamela Chaloult on June 22, 2011 - 4:09pm

SVI Alumni Kevin Lynch Tapped as new CEO of SE Alliance.

Posted on June 13, 2011 in News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ALLIANCE SELECTS NEW CEO
Seasoned Practitioner, Author, Speaker, Field Leader & Vice Chair

Kevin Lynch, long-time Board member and current Vice Chair, has been selected to take over from Lisa Nitze as the President and CEO of the Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA).  Due to family commitments, Nitze is stepping away from the CEO role, but remains deeply committed to the work of SEA and the field of social enterprise by joining SEA's Board.

“I am thrilled and excited to carry forward the good work of SEA at such a historical and transformative time,” says Lynch.  “As a sustainable engine for growth that delivers new jobs and economic development at the same time it addresses social issues, social enterprise is poised to explode exponentially as a driver in our economic recovery.”  Lynch has served for 8 years as CEO of Rebuild Resources, a leading Minnesotan social enterprise, and 12 years as CEO of a social enterprise ad agency.  Lynch is also primary co-author of Mission, Inc., The Practitioner's Guide to Social Enterprise, has keynoted on social enterprise on three continents, and has served on the SEA board for over three years.

SEA captured a key inflection point for the social enterprise field by hiring Nitze in 2010.  Nitze remarks, “It has been exciting and gratifying to play a catalytic role in advancing the development of the social enterprise sector nationally at a time when all economic and social stakeholders are searching for leveraged, sustainable solutions.  I look forward to continuing to do so in my new capacity as a Board member of SEA.”  Her rapid progress in establishing SEA as the go-to for the field created the need for staff expansion under its COO, Jill Harris, and, Tara Donohue, who heads up membership, in 2011.

Thanks to the work of Harris and Donohue along with Lynch's long tenure as a social enterprise practitioner and his deep familiarity with SEA, a seamless transition is expected.

Bill Strathmann, Chair of the SEA Board, comments, “Lisa’s dynamic work as a builder of cross-sector partnerships has raised SEA to an all-time new level.  Kevin’s status as a seasoned practitioner and field leader makes him the perfect choice to expand the organization’s role and create greater social impact.”

About Kevin Lynch

Growth at the Social Enterprise Alliance

  • 11 Chapters: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Massachusetts, Chicago, Maryland, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Colorado, North Texas, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee, with major University partner in key chapter markets
  • 2010 SEA Summit grew 82% with 726 attendees from 26 countries
  • Developed partnerships with NISH, Goodwill, Catalyst Kitchens, Lex Mundi, America Forward, REDF, Social Venture Network, Young Presidents' Organization, and RSF Social Finance
  • Launched or is launching: webinars, Corporate Connect consulting service, Accreditation Program, Government Relations Council


About the Social Enterprise Alliance
Established in 2001, the Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) is the only member organization in North America that brings together the diverse and rapidly growing field of social enterprise. Social enterprises are engines of simultaneous social and economic development and are critical for the development of sustainable communities.  SEA serves as champion for the field, hub of information and education, partner to policymakers, and builder of a vibrant and growing community of social enterprises. Find out more at www.se-alliance.org

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Contact Information
If you’d like more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
    - Bill Strathmann, SEA Board Chair, 240-482-3219, bill.strathmann@networkforgood.org
    - Kevin Lynch, President and CEO, 612-723-4209, kevin@se-alliance.org

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