As Madison House celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, the organization also welcomes a new executive director, Elizabeth Bass.
During the last six months, Bass has served as the organization's interim executive director. At the time, a search committee conducted a nationwide effort to fill the permanent executive director position, said Marnie Coons, a student co-chair of the Madison House Board of Directors.
Ultimately, it was not just Bass' credentials - which range from volunteering as an undergraduate student to working for other nonprofit organizations - that made her stand out as the best candidate, Coons said.
"Elizabeth's ability to inspire is the quality that set her apart from the rest," she said, "not just the students or the donors, but the entire community overall."
Bass, a 1999 graduate of the College, comes into her new position with a great deal of experience in both Madison House and other organizations.
"During my four years at U.Va., Madison House was a big part of my student experience," Bass said, adding that she was a volunteer during her first year.
She continued to increase her involvement with the organization, becoming a program director during her second year and later a member of the board of directors.
Since then, Bass has served as the volunteer coordinator for the Shelter for Help in Emergency and earned a master's degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She later returned to Madison House, signing on as a staff member in summer 2003.
Bass said it was her earlier experiences working for nonprofit organizations that ultimately convinced her to come back to Charlottesville.
"A lot of what caused me to stay in Charlottesville was the foundation of working in nonprofits," she said. "I wanted to take that nonprofit background I already had, combine it with my education background and put it to use as a staff member [at Madison House]."
As the new executive director, Bass hopes to strengthen the ties Madison House has with both University students and the Charlottesville community, she said. Even as she celebrates the organization's 40th anniversary, Bass looks ahead to the next several years.
"It's a great time for looking towards what our next 40 years are going to be like," she said. "It gives me a great perspective to create more opportunities for student volunteers"
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