Nine months after the passing of Annette Marcum, founder and executive director of Valley Churches United Missions, the organization that she developed into a Santa Cruz County mainstay named Dave Mills as its new director.
Mills, a Santa Cruz resident who grew up in Felton and Scotts Valley, officially assumed the mantle of executive director of VCUM on Monday, Aug. 25.
Hailing from a background in the technology industry, as well as time serving as program director for the San Jose-based nonprofit Knight Foundation, Mills said that his primary goal is to carry on Marcum’s mission.
“Following any great leader is a challenge,” he said. “(Marcum) built a great brand awareness and great goodwill.”
As he settles in as VCUM’s executive director, Mills said that he plans to spend the remainder of 2014 familiarizing himself with the organization’s clients, volunteers, daily operation and annual projects.
He praised the organization’s efficient operation and strong volunteer base, adding that the lack of need for an immediate fix will allow him time to “get a feel before I start talking about the future.”
“I need to learn the operation and the best thing I can do is help the team execute through the end of the year,” Mills said. “It feels like the organization is not broken.”
He said that, when he saw the posted job listing, the position appealed to him due to the organization’s volunteer network — “impressive is an understatement” — as well as the number of families it serves, while maintaining a low overhead and no government interference.
Long-term, Mills said that his goal was to bring his background in technology to bear in modernizing the organization’s online presence and streamlining its business processes.
“We want to freshen up the operation’s infrastructure and technology without destroying our service levels to the client base,” he said.
One of the staff members with whom Mills with be working most closely is longtime VCUM Operations Director Linda Lovelace, who applauded Mills’ hiring, calling him “a good, comfortable fit.”
“I think he’s a fabulous choice,” she said, adding that Mills brings “fresh ideas, and a new exuberance” to the executive director position.
Lovelace said that pressing forward as an organization without Marcum behind the wheel has been difficult, but “we all have been taking our time, catching our breath, and we’re ready.”
For more information about Valley Churches United Missions, visit www.vcum.org.
