Ellen Hayward
Board Chair President @Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center
Signup · Get unlimited contacts
WORK HISTORY
Board Chair President @Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center
Organizational Strategy & Turnaround- Led a full organizational turnaround for a community mental health nonprofit facing financial instability, operational breakdowns, and declining morale, stabilizing the organization within 12 months.Executive Leadership, Governance & Culture- Recruited and onboarded a new Executive Director; reset governance practices, clarified board–staff roles, and helped rebuild a positive, employee-centered culture during a period of significant change.Operations, Finance & Systems Redesign- Directed a comprehensive operational and financial audit; replaced outdated financial controls, billing, and insurance workflows with modern technology platforms, improving cash flow, transparency, and compliance.Growth, Partnerships & Impact- Doubled clinical staff from 3 to 6, significantly increasing service appointments and ability to meet increasing client demand; helped leverage community relationships to secure emergency gap funding and new grant support without reliance on traditional fundraising.
EDUCATION
Coastal Carolina University
"Bronze Belt" Certificate in Leadership
Marylhurst University
M.B.A., Minor: Healthcare Management
Coastal Carolina University
BSBA, Management; Hospitality & Tourism Concentration
Academy of the Holy Cross
High School
Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Certificate in Global Hospitality Management
SKILLS
ABOUT ELLEN HAYWARD
I build programs and systems that help drive meaningful work and outcomes — and I care a lot about whether those systems actually make sense!For the past 15+ years, I’ve worked across higher education, hospitality, healthcare administration, and nonprofit governance, designing and improving programs that connect people to real-world outcomes. Most of my work lives at the intersection of strategy, operations, and experience — turning ideas into structures that function well in practice.At my core, I’m a builder and translator. I like untangling messy processes, aligning stakeholders who don’t always speak the same language, and creating frameworks that feel both human and scalable. I’m especially energized by work that bridges global contexts, strengthens access and equity, and supports place-based or community-centered engagement.In addition to my institutional role, I helped found a multi-location immersive dinner theater concept, blending hospitality, live performance, and interactive guest engagement. I also currently serve as Board Chair of a community mental health nonprofit, where I’ve led a recent organizational turnaround — rebuilding leadership, stabilizing finances, improving operational systems, and helping restore a healthy workplace culture. It has been some of the most challenging and meaningful work of my career <3.I’m endlessly curious about how systems shape behavior — whether in travel, education, healthcare, or community organizations. I also have an ongoing fascination with coffee, and how something so small and ubiquitous can bring people together and power entire conversations (and occasionally entire strategy meetings).Curiosity is my superpower, and I\'m always open to thoughtful conversations about global experiences and engagement, services design, organizational transformation, and building things that work — ideally with good coffee involved;).Things I\'m passionate about-Cultural, historical, sustainable and #transformationaltourism-Advocating for equity in healthcare systems, particularly related to access and affordability-Reducing the stigma associated with mental health care-Mentoring young adults to pursue their personal and professional dreams-Researching and designing authentic global experiences (dual US/UK citizen)-Really good coffee
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.