Casa de los Niños, which provides health and human services to children and families in Southern Arizona, has announced Nora Navarro-Hernández as its new Chief Executive Officer. She brings 30 years of experience in behavioral health and social services, as well as a deep commitment to ensuring the most vulnerable children and families have access to quality care and support.
As CEO, Navarro-Hernández will help guide strategic planning and program development; lead retention and recruitment of high-quality staff and leadership; advocate at the local, state, and national levels for policies and programs that will benefit the children and families Casa serves; participate in pursuit of contracts and grants, active fundraising, and endowment building; nurture and build strong community partnerships; and help to usher in Casa’s 50th anniversary in 2023.
Navarro-Hernández succeeds Susie Huhn, who has successfully led the organization for the last 18 years and is retiring as CEO this month. Huhn said, “I believe Casa de los Niños has a bright future under Nora’s leadership, and I look forward to watching those possibilities come to life.”
“We are thrilled that Nora is joining our team,” said Dr. Carol Swanson, President, Casa de los Niños Board of Directors. “I am confident that, with her exceptional vision and bright energy, she will lead Casa forward into an exciting new chapter of supporting children and families in our community, while celebrating Casa’s many wonderful achievements in the last 50 years.”
Navarro-Hernández comes to Casa de los Niños from CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness, where she has served on CODAC’s executive leadership team for the last 17 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Compliance and Outcomes. Prior to CODAC, she was Deputy Director of Pilsen-Little Village Community Mental Health Center, a large community-based, multi-service, mental health organization in Chicago. She has also been a CARF (Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) surveyor for over 20 years.
“Nora brings extensive experience and expertise in behavioral health and social services, as well as broad knowledge and nationwide connections as a result of her many years as a CARF surveyor,” said Cicely Parseghian, Esq., Casa Board Vice President and Search Committee Chair. “She is dedicated to the Tucson community and is passionate about ensuring that children and families have access to care and support that sees and treats them as whole people and helps them to reach their full potential.”
Navarro-Hernández received a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Illinois State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a licensed professional counselor and has various certifications including in healthcare quality, compliance, and professional coding.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to ensure that Casa de los Niños continues to promote high quality services to children and families,” said Navarro-Hernández. “I have always admired the great work the Casa staff does in this community, and I am eager to join them in their efforts.”
Navarro-Hernández will assume her responsibilities as CEO of Casa de los Niños on January 17, 2023.
Casa de los Niños offers a wide array of health and human services to children and families in Southern Arizona. It provides programs that are designed to prevent child abuse and neglect and to build long-term stability for families. Every program at Casa works to ensure children, parents, and caregivers receive the care and support they need to heal and thrive.
Casa de los Niños is a leader in the development and implementation of in-home services and evidenced-based models that promote safe and healthy environments for children and intervene for families at risk of disruption. It has almost 30 years of experience implementing evidenced-based models including prevention, intervention, and treatment services.
Casa de los Niños engaged Kittleman & Associates to conduct a search for its new CEO, led by Kittleman Principal Megan Lewis. Kittleman & Associates is a national executive search firm that specializes in the recruitment of CEOs for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, public charities, and philanthropic organizations. Kittleman recruits leaders for the entire nonprofit sector including human services agencies, advocacy and educational organizations, and foundations. For more information, visit https://www.kittlemansearch.com/.
