After a four-month intensive search, Nexus is pleased to announce the selection of Heather Emmanuel Ormand as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Heather follows Nexus Recovery Center’s previous long-term CEO of 30 years, Becca Crowell, who is retiring in July 2020. Nexus selected Heather after an extensive regional search led by a team of current Board Members. Nexus Recovery Center’s Board Chair coordinated the search.
Under Becca’s dedicated leadership, the organization grew from offering one adult women’s substance abuse program to adding new programs to help pregnant and parenting adult women and adolescent girls along with support and care for their accompanying children. Nexus is the only treatment center in North Texas that accepts women and adolescent girls in the late stages of pregnancy and allows children to accompany their mothers into treatment.
Becca also successfully completed two capital campaigns, developed The Auxiliary of Nexus, founded two fundraising events; The Auxiliary of Nexus Luncheon and A Night for Nexus, opened an outpatient program, formed new relationships, and strengthened existing relationships with partners and supporters and much, much more. Nexus anticipates that Heather will leverage these achievements to help the organization expand its services to even more women and adolescent girls seeking treatment.
“We are very excited to have Heather taking on the role of the CEO of Nexus Recovery Center,” says Karen Rogers, Board President. “Heather brings to the job an exceptional combination of energy, sensitivity, and proven leadership to the challenges of working with people in the social services sector. Both the Board and Staff are impressed with her extensive knowledge of Dallas County, her experience working in social services, and her strong management skills. We expect Heather to not only continue Nexus’ excellent programs, but to work with partners and funders to help expand Nexus Recovery Center’s programs to help more people in need of substance abuse treatment, regardless of their ability to pay.”
Heather Ormand comes to Nexus from the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center (DCAC), where she most recently served as the Chief Operations Officer. Heather joined DCAC in 2013 and oversaw finance, information services, human resources, education, and the Crimes Against Children Conference.
She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Texas and prior to joining DCAC she had over 12 years of experience in public accounting. She was a director with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and specialized in providing assurance and business advisory services for Fortune 500 companies. Her clients were primarily SEC-registered pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, as well as several non-public hedge funds and private equity partnerships. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a double concentration in Accounting and Marketing from the University of Richmond.
Heather has a passion for community service and improving the lives of children. The mission of Nexus has personal meaning to Heather as she has been in recovery for nearly a decade. She has actively volunteered in the Dallas Community with organizations such as The Family Place, Austin Street Center, and DCAC before joining the organization.
Heather has been married to her husband, Jason, for nearly five years and lives in Rockwall. They have one daughter, Hannah (3) and one son, Levi (1). Heather said, "I am so grateful and excited to jump into the work at Nexus. There is a sentence in the Big Book of AA that seems especially relevant today. 'Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life.' This is definitely beyond my wildest dreams – let’s do this!"
Heather Ormand will start her role of CEO on June 22, 2020. Becca Crowell will retire in July 2020, providing sufficient time to complete an orderly handover.
Based in Dallas, Texas, Nexus Recovery Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that offers specialized substance abuse treatment services for adult women and adolescent girls, ages 13-17, as well as therapeutic treatment and care for their accompanying children in order to break the cycle of addiction. Founded in 1971, the mission of Nexus is to serve as a link to sobriety, independence, and dignity for women and their families affected by addition.
Nexus inspires hope, offers respect, and honors the unique differences of female addicts. Nexus has been accredited by the Joint Commission since 2006 and is the only treatment center in North Texas that accepts women and adolescent girls in the late stages of pregnancy and allows children to accompany their mothers into treatment. We are able to provide all these services with the help of a dedicated board, volunteers, staff, partners and donors. Together we break the cycle of addiction, changing family’s lives, whatever their income, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity.