Volunteers of America National President/CEO Charles W. Gould Announces Departure

Charles W. (“Chuck”) Gould, national president and chief executive officer of Volunteers of America, recently announced that he will leave his position at the end of his current five-year term in June 2010 after 15 years as president.  During the past two years, Gould led the expansion of Volunteers of America toward a new strategic direction, “Aging with OptionsTM.” This direction, focused on the needs of seniors, expands upon the organization’s established network of senior housing, long-term assisted care and other services for older people. Volunteers of America also will continue to serve children, veterans, families and those with greatest need.  After recently earning a post-law degree from Oxford University in international human rights law, Gould has decided to pursue a path in international service. Before his tenure at Volunteers of America, he practiced law in Washington, DC with the firms of Arnold & Porter and Hogan & Hartson.

“After 15 years working with staff and volunteers to expand and strengthen Volunteers of America, I am proud of what we have collectively accomplished,” Gould said. “I am now ready to pursue a new calling.”

Advertisement

A national search process to fill Gould’s position will begin in the coming weeks. David Kikumoto, chairman of Volunteers of America’s national board, stated, “Under Chuck’s leadership, Volunteers of America has grown substantially. In 1995, the organization served just under one million people; today, the number served has increased to two million in over 400 communities. Chuck has been an inspiration and his leadership will be missed.”

Gould has been named among the most influential nonprofit leaders in the United States. In relocating the National Headquarters to Washington, DC in 1996 – the organization’s centennial year – Gould was able to position Volunteers of America at the center of national human service dialogue, policy influence and decision making. The organization has tripled in size to nearly $1 billion in revenue, and its assets grew as much during Gould’s 15 year-tenure as they did in its first 100 years. Among its wide range of human services, the organization is one of the largest nonprofit providers of affordable housing in the U.S.

Advertisement