Community Action Marin | Case Study
Filling Critical Leadership After a Pandemic
Community Action Marin (CAM) is a complex, multi-program social service organization serving low-income families across Marin County. Following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, CAM faced significant staffing shortages and retention issues. Their leadership teams needed professionalization, greater competency, and a better alignment between staff and the communities they served. Compensation and equity were inconsistent, and the organization sought leaders who could bring stability, operational expertise, and cultural alignment.
Enter Scion Executive Search. Tasked with filling 12 critical leadership roles across programs, operations, and human resources, Scion set out to rebuild CAM’s director- and senior-level teams with precision, insight, and inclusivity.
Understanding the Challenge
Having previously struggled with search firms that failed to grasp their unique requirements or provide diverse slates, CAM faced a challenging recruitment landscape defined by a restricted local talent pool, essential California law expertise, and the high cost of living in Marin County. Compounded by the reputational impact of recent staff departures, these hurdles required a thoughtful, strategic approach from Scion Executive Search to meet CAM’s critical goals. By focusing on recreating director-level teams and building organizational capacity, the strategy aimed to ensure proper staffing and foster thriving programs capable of delivering measurable wins.
Scion’s Approach
Rather than focusing narrowly on individual roles, Scion undertook a full organizational discovery in close partnership with CAM’s CEO and VP of Human Resources to align immediate hiring needs with long-term strategic priorities. Each search followed a carefully calibrated process that included developing role-specific success profiles, mapping top talent across California, and maintaining a rigorous focus on inclusive slating to meet diversity goals. Candidates underwent practical evaluations such as work samples and exercises, followed by careful offer calibration to secure top-tier talent. Throughout the engagement, the emphasis remained on identifying professionals who were not only highly credentialed but also deeply culturally aligned and mission-driven.
The Outcomes
The results of this strategic partnership were significant, totaling 12 leadership placements across Vice President, Director, and HR roles with a 100% offer acceptance rate. Scion maintained high efficiency throughout the process, delivering the first candidate slates within three to five weeks and achieving an average time-to-acceptance of approximately 90 days. Beyond these metrics, the new leaders brought advanced credentials—ranging from MPH and LCSW to MS degrees in Early Childhood Education and Community Development—which enabled CAM to professionalize its teams, expand programs, and measurably improve employee satisfaction and retention.
Why These Leaders Were the Right Fit
Each candidate matched CAM’s vision: strong cultural alignment, deep compliance and operational expertise, and a commitment to the organization’s mission. Candidates were drawn not just to the positions but to CAM itself, inspired by its programs and motivated by the inclusive, compassionate search process that Scion facilitated.
Within 12–18 months, CAM’s leadership team had achieved remarkable capacity improvements, stronger operational infrastructure, and a renewed sense of organizational stability. Programs flourished, and staff engagement increased, demonstrating the long-term impact of strategic executive search.
