Nevada City, CA– The Board of Directors of Child Advocates of Nevada County has selected Nicole McNeely to be its next Executive Director. Child Advocates, which is the umbrella agency for CASA, Healthy Babies, and Child Safety Puppeteers, is dedicated to serving and empowering the most vulnerable children and families in the region. Ms. McNeely, most recently the Executive Director of the Food Bank of Nevada County, will step into the leadership role in mid-October.
“We couldn’t be happier to have found Nicole right here in our own backyard,” said Buzz Crouch, Chair of the Child Advocates Board. “She thoroughly impressed us with her passion for our mission, and care for this region’s children and families.”
McNeely has resided in Nevada County for the majority of her life. She is a graduate of Nevada Union, Sierra College, and earned a Bachelor’s degree from California State University Chico in early childhood education. In her past, she has worked with children in a variety of settings including special education, personal tutor, children’s entertainment, preschool teacher, and multiple grade classroom instructor. McNeely cares deeply about helping and protecting children. She has a strong commitment to securing the health and safety of all children in Nevada County.
“I’m looking forward to meeting with the staff and learning more about the incredible work that each person contributes to the organization,” enthused McNeely. “My hope is to foster collaboration, inclusion, and passion as we work together to help the children in our community.”
McNeely also has a strong background in fundraising, having built the Food Bank’s budget to over $1M, and steering that organization through the extraordinary need our community experienced during COVID.
“Although the majority of our budget comes through State funding of these essential programs, many people are unaware that we still need to fundraise to support our amazing and dedicated staff,” said Crouch. “Nicole has a knack for both fundraising and collaboration- two very important skills in the nonprofit sector.”
McNeely will take the baton from current Executive Director, Marina Bernheimer, who recently relocated with her family to the Central Coast. “I look forward to working closely with Nicole to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. I’m so pleased to leave the organization in her capable and caring hands to continue our work to ensure local children grow up in safe, healthy, loving homes.”
For more information on Child Advocates, please visit, https://caofnc.org.