Leadership Transition:

Executive Director Search

We’re searching for our next Executive Director

Opportunity Council is in an important period of leadership transition as we search for our next Executive Director.

After more than three decades with Opportunity Council, Executive Director Greg Winter retired on August 31, 2026. Lorena Shah and Dave Foreman are serving as Interim Co-Executive Directors while the Board of Directors leads a national search for Opportunity Council’s next permanent leader.

This page will be updated as the search moves forward, with information for prospective candidates, staff, community partners, and others following the transition.

Executive Director Search

Priority deadline:
November 30, 2026

Search partner:
Valtas Group

Current leadership
Lorena Shah and Dave Foreman
Interim Co-Executive Directors

Executive Director Search Timeline

  • January 2026: Executive Director Greg Winter announced plans to retire after more than three decades with Opportunity Council, beginning a planned leadership transition and national search for the organization’s next Executive Director.
  • August 31, 2026: Greg retired as Executive Director. Lorena Shah and Dave Foreman stepped into their roles as Interim Co-Executive Directors to provide continuity in leadership during the transition. Greg continues to support the interim leaders in a consulting role through February 2027. READ HIGHLIGHTS FROM GREG WINTER’S TENURE WITH OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL
  • Fall 2026: The Board of Directors reopened the national search for Opportunity Council’s next Executive Director and continues to work with Valtas Group to identify a strong field of candidates.
  • October 2026: Applications are being accepted, with a priority deadline of November 30, 2026. Candidate materials are reviewed on a rolling basis.
People wearing rainbow tie-dyed shirts with sunbursts smile as they hold an Opportunity Council logo banner

About the Role

The next Executive Director will lead Opportunity Council at a pivotal moment in the organization’s history, building on a strong foundation while helping shape what comes next.

Working with the Board of Directors, leadership team, staff, and community partners, the Executive Director leads and manages Opportunity Council and advances the organization’s mission and strategic direction.

The search will remain open until the position is filled, with a priority application deadline of November 30, 2026. Candidate materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with initial screening interviews conducted by Valtas Group.

Candidates should submit a resume and a cover letter of no more than two pages, addressed to the Search Committee, through Valtas Group.

The community we call home

Opportunity Council is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, and works with communities across Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Jefferson, and Clallam Counties.

Northwest Washington is a place shaped by both close community connections and significant contrasts. The region includes growing cities, small towns, islands, agricultural communities, and rural areas, each with distinct strengths, needs, and identities. Bellingham sits between the Salish Sea and the North Cascades, near the Canadian border, and is home to Western Washington University as well as a wide range of local businesses, community organizations, cultural institutions, and outdoor recreation.

The region’s quality of life is one reason many people choose to make a home here. It is also a place where the issues at the heart of Opportunity Council’s work are visible every day: the rising cost of housing and basic needs, access to child care, economic security, and the challenges of connecting people with resources across rural, urban, and island communities.

For Opportunity Council’s next Executive Director, understanding this place means understanding both its opportunities and its complexity. Our work is deeply connected to the communities we are part of, and strong relationships across the region are central to how we work.

Contact

For questions about the position, please reach out to Valtas Group. You may direct questions to Ed Rogan at [email protected] or Matt MacLean at [email protected]. For media inquiries, use [email protected].