Loaves and Fishes Community Services’ Executive Vice President Nancy Wiersum has announced she’s retiring after nearly two decades working in the nonprofit sector.
“What’s very important about Nancy is that her focus is always on our North Star, which is ‘How can we help people?’” said President and CEO Mike Havala. “How can we help families in need in our community?”
Nancy Wiersum’s profoundly personal beginnings
For Wiersum, the desire to change people’s lives is profoundly personal.
“Our family has tracked with a family in Chicago that we met because they were basically panhandling,” she said. “We got to know them and really understand their story. And we still remain involved with them, with the young lady today. I think going back to that original family well over 20 years ago is what really drew me to people struggling with low income and poverty,” she said.
Bringing unique perspective to fundraising
To this day, Wiersum continues to draw inspiration from that family, leading the fundraising efforts for Loaves and Fishes. Her work is essential for an organization now feeding and serving more than 10,000 individuals each week.
“Nancy has a very uncommon combination of being somebody who is very people-oriented, very relationship-based, but at the same time, she’s very savvy when it comes to business,” said Havala. “She can also convert those relationships into things that benefit Loaves and Fishes, but also the community at large.”
Wiersum started serving the Naperville area and beyond with Naperville Community Television (NCTV17). She then went on to the Robert Crown Center, then to 360 Youth Services, and finally to Loaves and Fishes, where she’s spent the last eight years.
“The Naperville community has such a great nonprofit community,” said Wiersum. “We are each doing our own piece, and it takes all of us. We all collaborate, we’re cheering each other on, and it really, really benefits our community.”
“Nancy has this term, a friend-raiser, and I think that depicts Nancy so well,” said Nicki Anderson, Director of Strategic Partnerships for DuPage Foundation. “This job is not easy, to be in advancement and to raise money, but it’s never been about her job raising money. It’s always been about ‘what can I do to help the people that we serve?’ That’s always been it.”
“I think Nancy has really given the not-for-profit community in Naperville and in DuPage [County] a real lift,” said Liz Spencer, Executive Director for NCTV17. “She is, lovingly referred to as the gold standard of what it is to be in the development space for a not-for-profit. She is certainly the gold standard, and she has earned that every day, and we thank her for that.”
Passing the baton to Megan Lynch
Although Wiersum recently announced her retirement, she won’t be leaving without ensuring future success for Loaves and Fishes.
“I give Nancy an incredible kudos for her work in succession planning to make sure that we had somebody fantastic that is taking over for Nancy and that’s Megan Lynch,” said Havala. “We’re very, very excited about Megan, in that role.”
“I have every confidence in Megan Lynch, my successor, and I’m super excited for her and the team, and really looking forward to seeing how she contributes,” said Wiersum. “I know it’s going to be fantastic.”
Looking to a higher power
While Wiersum’s career has been all about connecting with others, it’s ultimately her connection to her faith, she says, that got her to where she is today.
“I ask God every day to work through me,” she said. “I try to listen and respond. I believe he has, but any success that might be attributed to me should be attributed to him.”
Wiersum’s last day will be February 28. But she plans to continue giving back as a volunteer, and as part of the community advisory council.
“I am so inspired by our clients at Loaves and Fishes, the obstacles they have to overcome, and the resilience they’ve demonstrated,” she said.
Photos courtesy of Loaves and Fishes Community Services
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
