Nonprofit looking for new leader
Rebecca Gershenson Smith, executive director of CDAIDE, presents at the CDAIDE Volunteer Picnic last June. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Gershenson Smith
Rebecca Smith with CDAIDE staff Ruth Boe, left, and Cindy Ackland at the end of the CDAIDE Chef Challenge last November. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Gershenson Smith
A nonprofit supporting restaurant and hospitality workers is accepting applications for executive director.
After five years with CDAIDE from founding board president to taking on the executive director role last year, Rebecca Gershenson Smith is stepping down by June 1, or sooner if the position is filled.
“Rebecca has been the main inspiration for this organization since its inception,” said Bev Moss, CDAIDE’s board chair. “She has done an amazing job of sharing her vision and heart with fellow board members, staff and volunteers.”
Smith said she never intended to take on the executive director position, but when the organization decided they needed full-time staff, adding a new leader at a time of transition after the pandemic seemed challenging so she decided to fill the role.
“I’ve accomplished what I set out to do,” Smith said. “The organization’s now in really good shape for someone new to step in.”
CDAIDE grew out of a committee at First Presbyterian Church in Coeur d’Alene, and works through assisting referred individuals. Support may come in the form of financial assistance, access to health care and community resources, mentoring and more. Individuals can be referred through cdaide.org.
“I think what I’ve learned about hospitality workers is that they are a very hardworking, very important backbone of our community but oftentimes their presence is invisible,” Smith said. “They’re a group of people who really are not inclined to ask for help when they have needs.”
Smith said it’s important to recognize how special these people are to the community, and how they don’t have a lot of resources if they were to have a medical crisis or major car repair.
“We just didn’t have anything in our community that was serving that population,” Smith said. “So it was a need.”
She said she's very pleased with how the nonprofit has grown since 2017.
After stepping down, Smith said she plans to still volunteer but will stay clear from leadership roles as that could cause it to be challenging for a new leader.
Smith has a background in nonprofits and holds a PhD in English literature, teaching part-time at Gonzaga University for almost a decade before working as CDAIDE’s director. Smith said she's looking at returning to her previous life with writing, teaching and spending more time with family.
She said it would be great to have a new leader who is compassionate and has an awareness of the challenges faced by those in the hospitality industry.
Other qualities they are looking for in a new director are the ability to multitask and work in a lot of different capacities, good communications skills, attention to detail and a heart for the mission.
Responsibilities would include managing fundraising and operations, outreach and partnership development, programming and planning. The position is full-time and salary is $65,000.
Apply at cdaide.org/careers. Other part-time positions and volunteer opportunities are available as well.
