After more than 40 years in nonprofit leadership, CEO Dawn Lockhart is preparing to retire, describing the moment simply as a “time to pass the torch.”
Lockhart joined the Nonprofit Center in January 2024 following a career in public service and nonprofit leadership, including serving as CEO of Family Foundations of Northeast Florida and director of strategic partnerships for the City of Jacksonville, where she built the city’s inaugural Office of Strategic Partnerships, the first in the Southeastern United States to advance cross-sector collaboration among government, philanthropy, nonprofits and the private sector.
Her work in Jacksonville led to nationally recognized public-philanthropic partnerships honored by the Council on Foundations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2023.
At Family Foundations, she expanded access to mental health services, housing, and financial counseling, as well as financial literacy programs, serving thousands of families across Northeast Florida.
Following Lockhart’s retirement, longtime team member Callan Brown, senior vice president of development, partnerships and operations, will step in as interim CEO. Still, both leaders emphasize that this transition is about far more than a change at the top: It reflects a broader shift in how nonprofits work together to sustain their missions in a rapidly changing environment.
This transition is being guided by the Center’s framework of sustained collaboration – a structured approach to mission sustainability that helps nonprofits form intentional, strategic partnerships. These can include mergers, shared back-office services, fiscal sponsorships, asset transfers and data-sharing agreements. “Sustained collaboration” is the Center’s way of describing how organizations can move beyond traditional partnerships toward more intentional, systemic cooperation designed to strengthen long-term impact. Through initiatives like Catalyst, a regional data effort, the Nonprofit Center is building the infrastructure that enables this kind of collaboration.
Collaboration is not new in the nonprofit sector. Organizations have long partnered on programs, shared resources and coordinated services across the community, but leaders say the current moment requires something deeper. The difference now is urgency and intentionality.
“How do we innovate in those partnerships so we can absorb some of the loss of funding while still delivering services for people in need,” Lockhart said.
That shift is changing how leaders think about structural decisions, and approaches like shared services or mergers – once viewed as last resorts – are increasingly being reframed as strategic tools for sustainability.
“This is about mission sustainability,” Lockhart said. “Not just organizational sustainability.”
For Brown, the transition is both professional and personal.
“I had such an aspirational view when I was in my MPA program at the University of North Florida,” Brown said. “I wanted to work for the Nonprofit Center someday.”
Now, nearly a decade into her tenure, she said the opportunity feels both earned and deeply meaningful.
Brown pointed to the organization’s strategic plan – built over several years of research, listening and sector engagement – as a solid foundation for what comes next.
“We have a strong strategic plan, a strong staff, a strong board and a lot of momentum,” Brown said.
What makes this transition distinctive is that the Nonprofit Center is applying its own philosophy internally. Rather than immediately launching a search for a permanent CEO, the Board is taking a deliberate pause to evaluate what leadership and structure should look like going forward. That includes asking the same questions it encourages other organizations to consider: how can impact grow, what partnerships are possible and what models better serve the mission.
“Callan is a trusted and capable leader who has played an integral role in shaping the Nonprofit Center’s growth and impact,” said Sam Inman, chair of the Nonprofit Center Board of Directors. “Her leadership will provide stability and continuity of growth as we build on the strong foundation Dawn has helped establish.”
As part of the transition effort, Lockhart and other nonprofit leaders, including Stella Johnson, Cindy Funkhouser, and Lori Ann Whittington, have helped launch the “Sector Shift Society,” a network of experienced nonprofit executives focused on mentoring and supporting emerging leaders.
The goal is to share lessons learned over decades in the field and help new leaders navigate challenges they may not anticipate. “Hundreds of sector leaders responded,” Lockhart said, noting interest in both participating and supporting the effort. “It’s about being behind the scenes,” Lockhart said, “and helping lift up emerging leaders.”
After more than four decades in the field, Lockhart said one lesson stands out above all others: “Know when to say no,” Lockhart said. “If you don’t set boundaries around your capacity, you risk not being able to serve anyone well.”
For Brown, stepping into leadership at a moment of transformation is both challenging and energizing.
“It’s an exciting time,” Brown said. “We have a strong foundation, a clear direction and a real opportunity to innovate.”
In reflecting on the organization’s progress and outlook for the year ahead, Inman underscored the strength and steadiness guiding the nonprofit’s next chapter.
“Our members and partners can expect stability, transparency and continued focus on our shared mission,” said Inman. “We enter this next chapter with confidence – grounded in a strong financial position, a clear strategic direction and the resilience of our nonprofit community.”
Lockhart will remain involved as executive in residence, supporting the organization through its next phase while stepping back from day-to-day leadership.