Staffing Advisors is proud to have partnered with the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) in the selection of its Chief Operating Officer, Wendel Stewart. CMHA is a trade association that represents concrete masonry producers of the US and represents hardscape and MSV producers, suppliers, and contractors of interlocking concrete pavement and segmental retaining walls in both the US and Canada. CMHA has an operating budget of $8MM and approximately 28 staff members. Read CMHA’s full announcement here.
“Wendel is the ideal choice to lead CMHA’s operations at a time when the association is growing and pursuing critical goals for its members. Wendel’s breadth of talent, experience, and dedication will make a positive impact in our industry and we are thrilled to welcome him aboard.”
— Robert Thomas, CMHA President and CEO
About the Search for Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association’s Next COO
After a deep discovery process to identify the organization’s most critical business issues and strategic priorities, Staffing Advisors sought an experienced, strategic, and process-minded executive with expertise in financial management and leading an organization through change. The new leader would be joining an organization formed the previous year through the merger of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and the National Concrete Masonry Association.
The search was led by Staffing Advisors Vice President of Executive Search Aileen Hedden, with strategy consulting from Founder & President Bob Corlett and support from the entire Staffing Advisors team.
Working closely with the CMHA’s leadership, Staffing Advisors surfaced several key focus areas in which the new leader would drive impact. A summary of each is listed below:
- Financial Management. Manage the association’s finances, including a $7.5M operating budget and a $5M investment account, working with the CEO, external partners, and the investment committee to unify accounts and financial policies. Oversees the NCMA ($10M) and ICPI ($6M) foundation investment portfolios and advises on potential consolidation to improve efficiency and performance. Lead banking, financial reporting, and budgeting, while training department leaders to strengthen budgeting, analysis, and financial management skills.
- Operations Management. Translate CMHA’s priorities and direction into standard operating procedures, merge existing policies, develop new policies, and monitor, assess, and improve ongoing strategies. Ensure compliance with all legal provisions and ICPI-NCMA bylaws, policies, and procedures. Provide guidance on facilities maintenance and physical plant improvements, including whether to invest in or sell CMHA property, and manage all vendor relationships and contracts.
- Staff Leadership. Play a strategic role in attracting, onboarding, retaining, and developing staff while overseeing Trinet, CMHA’s contracted PEO for payroll, optional benefits, and other HR administrative services. Lead staff across departments to effectively work together on organization-wide projects. Work to be seen as an approachable, visible, engaged, and credible leader to improve employee relations and unite CMHA’s two cultures.
The Staffing Advisors team was honored to support CMHA in this important leadership transition. We have also partnered with CMHA in the selection of a Marketing Director.