Expansion of leadership team also includes appointment of first Chief Administrative Officer
[MIAMI] – Maurice Woods has been named President and CEO of Easterseals South Florida. The organization is the leading provider of services for people with disabilities or special needs and their families. In addition, Barry Vogel has been named Chief Administrative Officer in a newly created position.
“These new hires are reflective of Easterseals’ commitment to the community we serve. We are investing to meet the needs to the South Florida community by increasing the capacity. In addition to the capability of our leadership team,” said Eric J. Vainder, Chairman of Easterseals South Florida Board of Directors and Senior Managing Director, The Northern Trust Company.
Maurice Woods
An innovative leader with a passion for equity and inclusion, Woods brings a professional background. That includes leadership roles with Chicago Public Schools, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and The Quaker Oats Company. Most recently, Woods served as Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for Broward County Public Schools.
“Maurice has extensive experience with programs and service-related solutions in the communities where he has worked. COVID-19 and the pandemic have created larger needs for the populations we serve. We are confident that Maurice’s leadership approach will take Easterseals to a new level to meet these needs,” said Vainder.
Woods understands firsthand the disparities present for individuals and families with disadvantages or disabilities stemming from his experience as a black man from an underserved community with family members that have disabilities. According to Woods, “the ability to strategically collaborate and align our Easterseals South Florida mission with business and community organizations are critical pieces of our impact strategy. I look forward to working with current and new partners who support our mission and join our commitment to alleviate suffering for those individuals and families hardest hit by the pandemic.”
Barry Vogel
In addition to Woods, Easterseals South Florida hired Barry Vogel as its first Chief Administrative Officer. A new role focused on strengthening the systems and processes that support the organization’s mission and programs. Vogel previously served as Managing Director of Global First Year at Florida International University and as the Director of Administration at Johnson & Wales University.
Growth of Easterseals of South Florida
“Easterseals of South Florida has grown significantly over the past six years. Grown both in size and complexity as we deliver services to meet the community’s expanding areas of need. Vogel has the administrative acumen to support our successful growth trajectory,” said Bob Fatovic, Immediate Past Board Chair, and Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Ryder Systems.
Recently, Easterseals South Florida received a transformational $6M gift from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. Woods succeeds Loreen Chant. Chant served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Easterseals South Florida for the past seven years. He will lead a staff of 180 full-time and 130 part-time employees. In addition to managing an annual budget of $14 million, of which more than 92 cents of every dollar is historically committed to programs and services. Woods’ placement is the result of a national search conducted by Diversified Search.
