Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired Announces New President
Winnetka, IL (PRWEB) May 23, 2016 -- Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the largest provider of distance education worldwide for people who are blind or visually impaired, announces the election of Julie S. Tye as its next president, following the 10-year tenure of retiring President Charles E. Young. Hadley’s Board of Trustees retained Morris & Berger, a firm specializing in non-profit executive searches, to assist in recruitment. Tye was selected after a six-month national search.
Tye’s career began in hospital administration, but she spent the past 23 years serving as President and CEO of Evanston-based adoption agency, The Cradle. Like Hadley, The Cradle has a significant online education component. Through Adoption Learning Partners, 60 adoption courses and recorded webcasts are offered, reaching 8,000-10,000 people each year. This program was launched in 2000 and earned a Brandon Hall Award for distance learning. More than 100 adoption agencies throughout the country now require clients to complete The Cradle’s courses.
“Julie’s leadership experience in running an organization with a comparable number of students enrolled to Hadley, and the fact that she oversaw the development and implementation of a similarly sized distance education program to Hadley’s, elevated her above the other candidates,” said Dewey B. Crawford, Chair, Hadley Board of Trustees. “Julie’s extensive fundraising experience also weighed heavily in our decision.”
Fundraising is one of Tye’s many strong suits. While at The Cradle, she led a successful $15 million capital campaign, exceeding the agency’s goal by 18 percent. She also was responsible for a four-fold increase in annual public support, from $500,000 to $2 million, and a 250 percent increase in endowment funds.
Hadley Board of Trustees Search Committee Chair, Terry M. Faulk, said he was impressed with Tye’s nonprofit experience and comfort level working with a Board of Trustees. He added, “Among many positives, Julie’s experience and leadership qualities stood out.”
Tye was not seeking a job change when she first learned of Hadley’s available presidential position. However, it was Hadley’s stellar reputation, coupled with the fit of the position description, that led her to apply.
“I have had the very good fortune of spending my career with human service providers that are considered best in class in their fields: Lutheran General, Parkside Medical Services and The Cradle. Hadley has a well-deserved standing as a similarly exceptional organization making a critical impact on the people it touches. Hadley’s brand promise of ‘Educating — For Life’ is extremely energizing, and playing a role in delivering on that promise will be so personally fulfilling,” Tye said.
About Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Founded in 1920, Hadley’s mission is to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers. The world’s largest educator of braille, Hadley serves 10,000 students in all 50 states and 100 countries each year and thousands more through Seminars@Hadley, free “just in time” webinars on a variety of vision-related topics. For more information, visit http://www.hadley.edu, or call 800-323-4238.
Sheryl Bass, Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, http://www.hadley.edu, +1 847-784-2751, [email protected]
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