Clark Seipt
Executive Director
Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH)
With 15 years of experience in capacity building, global sustainability and international development, Clark currently offers a rich toolbox of skills and lessons learned to the Community Coalition for Haiti and its healthcare, education and community development programs. She is a proven fundraiser, strategic planner and team leader.
Tell us about your leadership style and how this contributes to your organization’s success.
I am a facilitator—passionate about creating opportunities that empower others to discover, use and share their gifts. This passion is at the core of my leadership style and has proven essential time and again in my ability to not only hire the right people, but also challenge and inspire my team to do their best work.
I value collaboration and creative problem solving. You’ll often find my teams brainstorming and developing possible scenarios for a specific program or question. These participatory processes allow us to articulate our best way forward, rooted in solid research, discussion and vetting. We then trust one another in the execution of those well-informed plans. We also reflect on our work regularly to ensure that we’re focusing our energies and resources in the right places.
At CCH, we anticipate potential challenges and turn them into opportunities. We work with our partners to identify their needs as well as the assets that already exist. We seek out ways to do more together than we could ever do alone, and we believe that anything is possible. Everyone has a voice. All see how their roles and responsibilities, however big or small, are integral to the success of the whole.
All of this, combined with the dedication of our Board members, volunteers and generous donors, enables CCH to be nimble, thoughtful and strategic as we work towards achieving our mission.
What advice would you offer for other nonprofit leaders?
Take time to work on your organization, not just in it. Make the choice that the day-to-day demands and challenges of your work, however mission-critical, will not prevent you from prioritizing time well spent on your longer term goals and dreams. Believe in your team, encourage them often and equip them well. Listen to one another and be willing to try new things. Remember that sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail, but always we learn.
What does this award mean for you and your organization?
The EXCEL Award is an inspiration for us. The leadership characteristics that it recognizes and encourages are fundamental to the health, vitality and sustained impact of our sector. Being named a finalist for the award honors not only my own work and growth as an individual but also the significant strides made by our diligent team of CCH staff, Board and volunteers. We are thrilled that this recognition will introduce CCH to many who do not yet know us, creating additional awareness of our mission and impact. The Center membership and professional development funds that accompany this honor will enable us to continue to challenge ourselves, improving our skills and positioning us even better to lead CCH into its next phase.