Survival Through Strategic Program Closure with Melissa Aase of University Settlement Society of New York
Melissa Aase, M. Div., MSW has built a nearly 30-year career in community services in NYC, and became Chief Executive Officer of University Settlement Society of New York in March 2020, after having previously served as its Executive Director since 2013. Founded in 1886, University is the nation's first and oldest settlement house, and Melissa is the first female leader in its 140 year history. Over her years in senior leadership, she has had to tackle the tricky business of deciding when to close programs, sell buildings, or move/sell initiatives over to new stewards.
She will join us to talk about her experiences helping keep a long-running organization alive by making hard cuts and learning how and when to let go.
More About Melissa
She has spent nearly her entire career at University Settlement, which she first joined in 1992 as a social work student doing welfare rights organizing before becoming a case manager and supervisor for youth development, employment, and homelessness prevention programs. In 2003, she joined University Settlement’s senior management team as the Director of Community Development, where she oversaw the Houston Street Center, Older Adults Program, Project Home, and The Creative Center, as well as new community, strategic partnerships, and intra-agency projects.
She also serves on the board of the International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, a membership organization representing over 11,000 neighborhood centers worldwide, and previously served as its executive director. She has also served on the NYC Women's Leadership Council, the board of the United Neighborhood Houses of New York, the NYC Human Services Council.
She holds a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Columbia University. Prior to working at University Settlement, she managed a small homeless shelter and worked in public policy and community organizing positions in New York and in her home state, Washington.