Wilmington, DE – Tuesday, August 23, 2022 — The YWCA Delaware Board of Directors announced on August 1 that CEO Stephanie Staats will be making a career move after serving nearly two decades at YWCA Delaware. An Interim Executive Director was selected today and will begin September 12.

“We regretfully accepted Stephanie’s resignation. We want to thank Stephanie for her extraordinary service, particularly her leadership over the past several years as nonprofits were tasked with meeting ever increasing community needs. I know I speak for the hundreds of YWCA Delaware donors, volunteers, and staff in wishing her great success in the next phase of her career. She has moved us closer to our goal of eliminating racism and empowering women in Delaware,” Board President Karen Smith said.

During Staats tenure as CEO, the YW opened the Sexual Assault Response Center (SARC), a free and confidential sexual assault crisis service for survivors; the YW’s racial and social justice programming was prioritized and expanded to advance the mission of eliminating racism. Aware that the housing crisis in Wilmington became more acute during the pandemic, the YW Home Life Management Center remained open to clients while Staats committed to keeping the staff employed and safe; women’s empowerment services and programming grew with creative new initiatives; financial challenges and fundraising goals were met.

Staats has devoted almost 30 years of service to Delaware’s nonprofit sector and has been instrumental to YWCA Delaware’s ability to serve more than 100,000 individuals over the past 17 years. She began her tenure at YWCA in 2004 and assumed the top leadership position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2016. Staats’ commitment to help improve the lives of women and families has been recognized statewide as a recipient of the Jessie Arrey-Mbi Leadership and Service Award in 2019 and as one of Delaware’s Top 40 Most Empowering Women in Business in 2021.

“I am incredibly proud of what our staff, board members, donors, volunteers, and community partners have been able to accomplish together. It has been fulfilling to work toward the mission of eliminating racism and empowering women by delivering transformative programs that have impacted so many people,” Staats said.

The Board of Directors has appointed Melissa Gonville as Interim Executive Director, effective September 12, 2022. Staats will continue to serve as CEO through September 9.

Gonville was YWCA Delaware Board President from 2011-2013, and a board member from 2009-2014. During her time on the YWCA board, she led the Evening of Style fundraising event and participated in the Finance and Fund Development committees.

Gonville is a business executive known for her positive attitude, inclusiveness, energy, compassion, calm and centered approach, with proven success in building and motivating teams, leading large programs, driving change, and enhancing controls and processes while delivering business results. In her 26 years in the Financial Services industry, she has held roles in Operations, Marketing, Data Management and Technology. She has significant depth and breadth of experience that encompasses program management, governance, oversight, operations management, marketing and customer experience, vendor management and technology business management. 

Gonville’s passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as mentoring and developing women, has driven her to lead efforts over the course of her career to generate awareness and promote change. She created the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy for Client Tax Operations, building a passionate and active team to deliver awareness and education and promote a highly inclusive culture. She has led women’s business resource groups at JPMorgan in Delaware, and developed several successful mentoring programs that cultivated women to grow their careers. 

"We are delighted that Melissa will be joining us as the Interim Executive Director. Melissa brings a depth of volunteer experience with impressive executive leadership skills from her years with JPMorgan Chase. We could not have found an interim candidate more committed to the mission of the YW to lead the organization during this transition," Smith said.

The Board of Directors will coordinate the search for a permanent CEO with an anticipated completion date of January 2023. 

ABOUT YWCA DELAWARE

Founded in 1895, YWCA Delaware is committed to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. As a leading association among a national network of more than 200 YWCAs, YWCA Delaware touches the lives of thousands of women and families annually through comprehensive human services provided across the state of Delaware. YWCA Delaware is a leader in the areas of economic empowerment, housing, racial and social justice, domestic violence and sexual assault response, and youth programming and services. With a 24/7 crisis helpline and centers located in Wilmington, Newark, and Georgetown, YWCA Delaware serves as a highly effective, inclusive, and uplifting force that empowers women and their families to achieve their full social and economic potential. Learn more at www.ywcade.org and follow @ywcade on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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