Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) in Petaluma, CA, is thrilled to announce the selection of Chris Cabral as the organization’s next chief executive officer. Cabral will succeed Chuck Fernandez as CEO starting January 1, 2023, and currently serves as chief operating officer at Nation’s Finest, a national veteran housing nonprofit headquartered in Santa Rosa.
The selection comes after a nationwide search by consultants Robert Half in partnership with COTS’ Board of Directors. Bill Gabbert, COTS’ Board President, said that Cabral “was the unanimous choice of the Board who saw in Chris someone who would truly embody COTS’ values of integrity, respect, and collaboration. Chris’s experience at Nation’s Finest at a time of growth well-prepares her for taking the reins at COTS, and we are excited to see where she will lead this organization that plays such a crucial role in our community.”
Chris holds a B.A. from Golden Gate University in Accounting and Business/Management and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Accounting from Dominican University.
Chris moved to Sonoma County in 2013 and has been with Nation’s Finest for six years. In her time as the Chief Operating Officer, Chris helped lead the organization through a period of profound growth, with the agency doubling in size during her tenure. Prior to her time at Nation’s Finest, Chris worked with PEP Housing, a North Bay nonprofit affordable housing developer, provided management consulting services for several nonprofits in the Midwest, assisted students at Golden Gate University School of Law, and served as an active-duty military member of the United States Coast Guard. Chris also serves on the Board of Directors for both Legal Aid of Marin and Trips for Kids Bay Area.
Chuck Fernandez, COTS’ CEO since 2018, expressed enthusiasm for the Board’s selection. “I am extremely excited about our new CEO at COTS – Chris Cabral. I was on the search committee and like everyone else, was wowed by her. The committee described her as smart, professional, highly capable with strong leadership skills, dynamic, lots of energy and positivity, humble, vulnerable, and innovative. We wanted someone that could build on our wonderful culture, connect with our team members, and listen to and accept them for their strengths. WELCOME Chris. We are so excited for you to lead this wonderful organization.”
Chuck will depart the CEO role on Dec. 31, 2022, after having strengthened the organization’s programs, services, standing in the community, and internal culture during his tenure. This year, COTS opened People’s Village, a 25-unit tiny home village designed to serve chronically homeless individuals, and will be launching Studios at Montero, a new 60-unit permanent supportive housing complex in the renovated America’s Best Value Inn in Petaluma. COTS also recently won the North Bay Business Journal’s Best Place to Work in 2022. In retirement, Chuck looks forward to traveling and spending more time with his family.
For media inquiries, contact Jamieson Bunn, Chief Development & Communications Officer, at [email protected].