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Executive Director

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Executive Director

Vermont Institute of Natural Science

Quechee, Vermont

Since 1972, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) has been a leader in environmental education and wildlife conservation and care. The Institute is a natural wonderland, situated on 47 acres of forest, meadow, and rolling hills that feature nature trails, state-of-the-art raptor enclosures, songbird aviaries, classrooms, and research facilities. It is also nationally renowned for its innovative natural science curricula and relevant education programs for learners of all ages.

VINS’ mission is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment, instilling in them a desire to respect the wildlife and the diverse natural habitats they encounter in their daily lives. To nurture our collective appreciation for nature and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect it, VINS partners with leading conservation organizations to promote environmental science field research and operates New England’s premier avian wildlife rehabilitation clinic.

The Opportunity

VINS seeks an Executive Director (ED) whose strong leadership skills and intrinsic interest in the natural world will propel the Institute into the next chapter of its success. Harnessing the growth and momentum VINS has created in recent years, the ED will explore new ways to increase the Institute’s programs and services while embodying the foundational principles that have defined it for more than 50 years: a commitment to environmental education, conservation, and preservation.

This position requires fundraising expertise as well as a holistic approach to leadership. Natural ecosystems rely on a delicate balance of interconnected parts; organizations are no different.

Ideal candidates for the VINS Executive Director role will have a keen understanding of the many variables that contribute to the success of nonprofit organizations, including financial and operational needs, strategic partnerships, Board relations, and the management of a team of professionals with a range of skills and competencies. Equally important is the ability to create a bold vision for the future and meaningfully engage others in bringing that vision to fruition.

Vermont Institute of Natural Science
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    By admin|2026-09-23T21:22:03-04:00August 15, 2023|Comments Off on Executive Director

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    Megan Abbett brings years of experience in advancement, nonprofit leadership, and executive search across many sectors and multiple professional functions. Respected and trusted across a broad range of regional and national organizations, clients return to and refer her to lead, manage, innovate, and execute searches whether in established, maturing, or emerging contexts.

    Just as Megan was adept at matching donors with causes close to their hearts in her nonprofit work, she excels at finding candidates with deep passion for her clients’ missions. Megan began her advancement career with six years at Simmons University in Boston, MA, then known as Simmons College. Her early years leading annual giving allowed her to gain a thorough grounding in development and in the complexities of an urban university with strong undergraduate and graduate programs. From Simmons she moved to her alma mater, Boston College, and later to another part of the nonprofit sector for Facing History and Ourselves, an organization that helps educators and students use history to take action against racism, prejudice, and hate. Her success there led her back to Simmons, where across a seven-year tenure she moved up through management to serve as a senior advancement leader and lead all Communications and Donor Relations. She made the career transition to executive search at Lindauer in 2011.

    Just some of Megan’s notable clients at Lindauer include The Aspen Institute, Auburn University, Brown University, Bryn Mawr College, Children’s Hospital Foundation, City of Hope, Columbia University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall College, Grassroot Soccer, Intelligence Squared, Marietta College, Michigan State University, Pratham USA, Room to Read, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the United States Marshals Museum, University of Illinois, University of Kansas Hospital, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, White Plains Hospital, Whitman College, The United States Marshals Museum, and The University of West Virginia. Megan holds a BA in English from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Business Communication from Emerson College.

    Senior Consultant Khushboo Rami-Patel brings to Lindauer and our clients over 10 years of experience. Her expertise as an advancement professional, including in research, donor cultivation, stewardship, strategic planning, events, and client relations, positions her to support critical search and talent needs among the firm’s broad range of clients. As a Senior Consultant at Lindauer, Khushboo relies on her development experience to guide her in fulfilling client needs and is driven by an ambition to match organizational mission with individual talent. Khushboo’s clients have spanned all parts of the non-for-profit sector including higher education, healthcare, arts and culture, and mission-based organizations.

    Khushboo began her career at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a public policy, research, and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. Her early years were spent training and managing volunteers, staffing political events, and producing and managing a notable conference and fundraiser set her up for the transition into development and advancement. From CAP, Khushboo moved to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Chicago to implement an inaugural cultivation and stewardship strategy for current and prospective major donors and managed relationships with executives at many of the city’s most prominent corporations. Her success in fast-paced environments led her to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago where she managed a portfolio of annual and project-based donors and implemented individualized multi-year strategic fundraising plans for the Board of Trustees and other dedicated patrons of the museum, raising record breaking funds for general operating support and museum exhibitions and education programs. Khushboo made the career transition to executive search at Lindauer in 2019.

    Khushboo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from the University of Michigan.

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