Kathleen Jordan has been a leader at Seven Hills, the largest human services nonprofit in Central Massachusetts, since 2003, first running advancement and then ascending to executive vice president and CEO. In July, when her husband David Jordan retires as president, she will be in the top spot at an organization with an annual revenue she helped grow to more than $300 million.
The affiliates part of Seven Hills Foundation and Affiliates means that Jordan’s reach in the community is extensive, and growing still with additional mergers with other nonprofits adding to its already impressive size. In the last 12 months, Seven Hills has acquired Archway, a residential provider for adults with autism in Worcester County, and Crotched Mountain School, a 125-acre residential school campus in New Hampshire, also providing services in the autism area.
As a leader of a large organization, Jordan prioritizes seeing the on-the-ground operations of Seven Hills. Though she runs the nonprofit like a business, she puts relationships with employees at the top of her list of priorities and visits Seven Hills programs on a weekly basis to ensure she is reachable, approachable, and sees what staff are handling day-to-day.
How should professionals best use the power they wield? “Embrace diversity of all kinds. Listen and act. Don’t be defensive. Empathy and emotional intelligence go a long way.”
Family tree: Jordan is obsessed with researching her family’s genealogy, has connected with relatives she never knew before, and is close to tracking down her biological grandfather.
