Share hires interim director as Clark County's largest homelessness service provider searches for permanent leader
May 8-Share, Clark County's largest provider of homelessness services, has hired an interim executive director to help stabilize the nonprofit while it searches for a permanent leader.
Scott Kerman, who guided a Portland social services nonprofit through the pandemic, joined Share last month after the exit of two of its top leaders. Share is also facing pressure from frontline workers.
Kerman said his time at Share will focus on supporting staff, strengthening community partnerships and laying the groundwork for the next leader.
"One of the things I want to do is leave the organization in a really good place so the next executive director can be successful," Kerman said. "This is a good opportunity for me to just be present and just talk with people. ... If the staff feel things are moving in a positive direction and we're confident that the organization will continue to thrive, then I think that's a success."
Meeting the need
Kerman started his career as a criminal defense attorney, then became a teacher, and later served on the front lines of Portland's homeless crisis for six years as the executive director of the nonprofit Blanchet House.
Kerman stepped into that role in 2019. He helped lead the nonprofit through the COVID-19 pandemic. For a stretch, Blanchet House was the only nonprofit serving meals during the pandemic lockdown, he said.
During his leadership, the nonprofit also navigated through the methamphetamine and fentanyl epidemics.
"We were really an epicenter for a lot of the humanitarian crisis," Kerman said.
Kerman admits he didn't know much about Southwest Washington's homeless crisis when he first heard about the Share position but quickly saw many of the same pressures as in Portland.
"The last five or six years for social services have been a whirlwind, and things are changing so rapidly," Kerman said. "I think we've seen in (Portland and Clark County) this support structure really strain under the weight of need."
Kerman said he was impressed by the breadth of services Share delivers in the region on a daily basis.
"I don't know if I can name an organization in the Portland metro area that is really committed to that scope of services. It is quite something," Kerman said. "What a great thing for Southwest Washington to have an organization with a community that is just committed to helping people who are struggling and suffering."
Kerman thinks he has the right temperament to be an interim leader. He said that one of the main responsibilities of an interim leader is helping the organization stabilize. He said he will collaborate with staff and the board.
That means looking at what's going right and what needs improvement with fresh eyes. He said he's been having many conversations with staff.
"One thing that's really great about being an interim is I don't have to be defensive if people have complaints. They're not complaining about me. I just got there," he said. "But it's an interesting position to be in, because you can be really objective in how you analyze and represent things."
Kerman's time at Share will end in July. Jessica Lightheart, Share's community relationships director, said the nonprofit's board has partnered with a Portland-based company, Nonprofit Professionals Now, to lead a search for Share's next permanent executive director. Lightheart said the goal is to identify a leader "who can build on Share's strong foundation while guiding the organization into its next chapter."
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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