Linda Leathers Executive Director

Andrea Overby Board Member

The Center for Nonprofit Management has announced the finalists for the 2009 “Academy Awards” of the nonprofit community in Middle Tennessee. The Next Door is honored that both Linda Leathers, Chief Executive Officer of The Next Door, Inc., and Andrea Overby, TND Board Member, have been named as finalists.

Leathers is one of three finalists for the 2009 “Chief Executive Officer of the Year” Award, sponsored by Bank of America. The “CEO of the Year” award is designed to highlight the importance of executive leadership in an organization’s achievement of mission-related results. Overby is one of three finalists for the 2009 “Board Member of the Year” Award. The Kraft CPAs Board Member of the Year Award recognizes board members who go the extra mile for their organizations.

This year’s Salute to Excellence will present nine awards totaling nearly $160,000 for nonprofit excellence. The winner of each award will be announced at the Salute to Excellence 2009 Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 17, 2009.

Linda Leathers has served as Chief Executive Officer of The Next Door since it first opened five years ago. Under Linda’s strong leadership, the agency has become a premiere example of a non-government organization combining private and public funding to provide excellent services in a cost-effective manner. Since the first residents arrived in May 2004, the six-month transitional program has served over 600 women. In 2007, the agency opened a permanent housing complex providing safe, affordable housing for women and children.

Linda is passionate about helping women needing recovery support services, and she enthusiastically serves as the “face” of The Next Door across Tennessee and the nation. Her “consensus-building” style, listening skills, and lifelong love of people have helped her lead a strong professional staff and build a vast network of friends, associates, peers, and advisors to bring success to the mission and objectives of The Next Door.

Andrea Overby was instrumental in the founding of The Next Door, one of the original four women with a vision for the program. Under Andrea’s six year tenure as Board Chair, the agency established 501c3 status, undertook three renovations to increase capacity, acquired and renovated a permanent housing complex, grew from a paid staff of one to 14, and implemented a strategic plan to accomplish this growth in a prudent manner.

Andrea served for five years as the volunteer Development Director, writing grants, building a strong base of diverse support, launching a benefit luncheon, and editing the newsletter.

Andrea is a generous contributor both financially and of her time. She is a passionate advocate, using her gifts as a speaker and writer to open many doors on the local, state and national level. Her commitment challenges everyone to strive for excellence and continues to inspire new volunteers and supporters.

Photos of all of the amazing finalists for this year’s Salute to Excellence Awards have been posted on The Tennessean’s website. Follow this link to a slideshow .