JobfitMatters is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Ekstrand, Jr. to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Easterseals Arkansas. For 75 years, Easterseals Arkansas has provided exceptional services to empower children and adults with disabilities to live, learn, work, and play in their communities.
Ekstrand brings more than thirty years of professional work experience to this role including ten years working as an executive leader within the Easterseals movement and another twenty years working for various businesses which includes Jewish Community Center Denver, Edward Jones, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Missouri, Ernst & Young, LLP, General American Life, and Humana, Inc.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in English from Illinois Wesleyan University and a MBA from Washington University (St. Louis, MO) where he was selected for the faculty’s top student award.
Dr. Tommy Thomas and Laura Coverstone of JobfitMatters assisted Easterseals with this search. Thomas shared, “This was a very enjoyable search for us. The work Easterseals Arkansas does is life-changing. Jay Heflin led a very engaged search committee, and we were pleased to find a very seasoned leader in Ron.”
Jay Heflin, Chairman of the Search Committee and Board member stated, “Fortunately, we engaged with the professionals at JobfitMatters. They did an extensive search and discovered candidates from several different areas of the country. The candidates were highly qualified from a professional and missional viewpoint. Tommy and Laura worked closely with us throughout all phases of the search process. Their input during the candidate vetting and interview processes were extremely helpful as we worked to determine the best candidate to serve the clients, families, and associates at Easterseals Arkansas well into the future.”
Ekstrand commented, “I love helping organizations adapt to and even shape the changes in its operating environment, such as the current changes in funding from Medicaid Managed Care. I appreciate using my unique leadership skills and talents to make a lasting difference for an organization that itself makes a huge difference in the lives of others. Easterseals Arkansas with its breadth of programs and services, is just such an organization. I am looking forward to helping Easterseals Arkansas expand its impact and its financial sustainability so that it can provide help, hope, and answers for another 75 years.”
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