Press Release -For Immediate Release
NFI North is pleased to share exciting news about the organization’s senior leadership. Dr Paul L. Dann, NFI North’s Executive Director, will step into the role of President and CEO for North American Family Institute effective January 1st, 2024. He has the honor of succeeding the Agency’s founder Dr. Yitzhak Bakal who completes a 50-year tenure with this special organization. With this news in hand NFI North’s Board and Administrative Team formed a search committee and we’re excited to share that Luke Reynard, MBA, Chief Operating Officer of NFI North will become the Executive Director of NFI North beginning in the new year.
Mr. Reynard holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas Permian Basin and is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in leadership. He joined NFI North in 2020, bringing innovative ideas and opportunities for growth. A resident of Henniker, NH, Reynard grew up in Texas. Luke, along with his wife, relishes the outdoor activities that Maine and New Hampshire provide, particularly skiing and snowboarding.
Dr. Paul Dann who will exit his current role of Executive Director expressed confidence in the committee's choice. "Luke is a remarkable leader who has shown a strong commitment to our mission of helping individuals and families reach their full potential," said Dr. Dann. "I'm very happy with the committee's decision, and I'm confident Luke will be a great steward of this remarkable organization and will continue to uphold our core values. It’s wonderful as well that my new role will allow me to continue to work with Luke and the NFI North community”.
The selection of Dr. Dann for CEO of NAFI/NFI caps a search process facilitated by NAFI’s National Board of Directors, the Executive Directors of the respective sister organizations and outgoing Founder, Dr. Yitzak Bakal. A large initial prospect pool was narrowed by stages and ended with a unanimous agreement that Dr. Dann was the ideal candidate to lead NAFI and its sister agencies.
”Dr. Paul Dann and his team have done a remarkable job in growing NFI North’s service array over the last three decades," said Bakal. "Paul can take justifiable pride in the fact that he has grown NFI North from a small agency with one service and four employees into the multi service and multi state organization that it is today. His extraordinary efforts have allowed the agency to broaden its reach and to help thousands of people to live successfully in their own home and community. Leaving NAFI in the capable hands of Dr. Dann gives me great peace of mind and I wish him and the whole organization all the best”.
About the North American Family Institute (NAFI):
NAFI/NFI is a parent corporation overseeing four subsidiary corporations that are united by a mission to create diverse and innovative opportunities for children, families and adults to heal and grow. Key to the agency’s decades of success is the common thread of its core values, honored through its adaptive therapeutic and management system called the Normative Community Approach. The methodologies have consistently proved effective at empowering staff and clients to form healing communities of support.
About NFI North:
NFI North is a nonprofit human service agency specializing in-home and community-based services for children, youth, adults, seniors and families with emotional, behavioral and educational needs. The agency promotes independence and self-sufficiency in small, participant-centered services, which places participant needs ahead of all else. The focus is on understanding and respecting the person, while, at the same time, helping him or her grow and develop within the context of their family and community.