Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center Appoints CEO

Following a nationwide search to find a CEO for the Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center (OGRCC), the Board of Directors has appointed Gina C. Gould to fill the position.

According to board president Kirk Schubert, Gould’s credentials, capabilities and community involvement combined to make her the obvious choice for CEO. “Now in its 70th year, the OGRCC is a community-based organization that has evolved over time to meet the needs of the people it serves. Going forward, our goal is to enhance our current service offering and develop more programming for adults and children.” To accomplish this, the OGRCC board of directors established this new leadership position. “We know that Gina not only has the relevant experience but also possesses the strategic vision to advance our mission."

Since moving to Fairfield County almost four years ago to work at another area nonprofit, Gould has been an active volunteer in the Greenwich community. “I have always possessed a spirit of volunteerism,” says Gould, “and in the 1980s I was fortunate to be able to put this passion into practice as a Peace Corps Volunteer.” Having graduated SUNY Oswego with a degree in Zoology, the Peace Corps assigned Gould to Paraguay where she launched a captive breeding program and served as the mammalogy curator at the National Museum of Natural History. Gould explains that the work was certainly interesting, but what was most important was the opportunity to experience a different culture and lifestyle. “It expanded my way of thinking and provided me with a world view that continues to inform who I am as a person.”

Having planned a career in science – which she pursued through academics (Gould holds a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University) and employment (she has served as project director, director of exhibitions and curator of science at several natural history and science museums) – Gould also nurtured her desire to give back to the community in a meaningful way. “Everyone talks about ‘giving back’, I know, but the whole notion of making a difference – and working diligently at it – is something to which I’ve dedicated a fair portion of my life.” To that point, one need only look at the level of her community involvement over the past few years alone – including memberships on the boards of Greenwich organizations with missions focused on quality-of-life issues: Greenwich Green & Clean, Greenwich Point Conservancy, and the Greenwich Tree Conservancy.

“That Gina is knowledgeable about and well-connected within the community served by the OGRCC is only one of the things that recommended her for the position,” says board president Schubert. “We needed someone who would be able to launch our strategic planning initiative, lead our fundraising efforts, cultivate our donors and develop our board.”

Schubert notes that Gina founded and managed a nonprofit education organization at which her principal responsibilities included grant writing, fundraising, board development and donor cultivation. “Plus, she is the recipient of more than $2 million in fellowship, grant and project awards, so we fully expect that OGRCC will thrive under her leadership.”

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Gould possesses other talents that will prove useful in her new position. Most notably, she is fluent in Spanish and, as a past competitor in USA Ultimate Frisbee™ tournaments, Gould was recently named to the USA Ultimate Class of 2013 Hall of Fame.

Gould, who assumed the CEO position in late August, is still settling in but has already started to develop strategies that will ultimately benefit the OGRCC membership. “We are a private organization that serves a public purpose and I am working to ensure that we deliver on that promise every day.”

About Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center: The Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center (OGRCC) promotes a sense of community by providing recreational, athletic, educational and social programs. Celebrating 70 years of providing programs and events to the Greenwich community, the OGRCC has increased its membership from 30 members in 1943 to nearly 1,800 today and expanded its programming from the original three programs to a wide variety of social, educational and athletic programs – thanks to strong leadership and an engaged Board of Directors. Community volunteers and financial support continue to be an essential component to the growth of the OGRCC! More information may be found on the web at myogrcc.org or by calling 203 637-3659.