Our Team
We excel at identifying transformational leaders.
Kim Brettschneider
As CEO and founder of Brettschneider Executive Search, Kim Brettschneider (she/her) conducts leadership searches across healthcare, higher education and nonprofit sectors. Her team identifies transformational executive leaders using a highly communicative, efficient and tailored approach. Before starting the firm, Kim oversaw CFO and COO searches in the higher education and nonprofit practice at WittKieffer. Seven years prior she was the New York principal with a mid-sized retained search firm focusing mostly on president and vice president of fundraising and marketing searches.
She has successfully partnered to place 200 C-suite leaders throughout her career. Kim’s expertise includes strategic budget planning, fundraising, marketing, human resources and public policy resulting from her prior years as executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund-California, development director of the Wonder of Reading, and interim education director of the Conservation Corps in Long Beach. In these roles, she partnered to expand health care coverage for children in California and comprehensive educational programs for thousands of low-income youth.
With a career-long commitment to equality she strives to identify not just candidates, but most importantly placements who diversify an institution’s leadership team across gender, race and ethnicity. As a board member, Kim has counseled various New York and California health, economic and educational organizations. California Assembly member Bonnie Lowenthal, and the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly recognized Kim’s advocacy efforts for young people including children of color and LGBTQIA+ students.
Kim was the recipient of the Prudential Community Spirit Award, the Bergen County Peace, Justice and Dignity Award in New Jersey, and two fellowships from the Independent Colleges of Southern California during her time at Pomona College. Kim speaks French as well as some Spanish.
Barry Glassner, Ph.D.
As senior advisor to Brettschneider Executive Search, Barry Glassner, Ph.D., co-leads our presidential, provost and academic dean searches. Based in Los Angeles, Glassner is also an executive coach for CEOs and other senior leaders at major American universities, liberal arts colleges, and national associations. In his higher education and nonprofit leadership work, including as former executive vice provost of the University of Southern California, and former president of Lewis & Clark College, Glassner prioritizes diversifying faculty and boards, something he sees as critical to his approach to executive search.
Angela also brings her experience as the Senior Vice President/CFO at Talladega College and prior to that as VP Finance/CFO at FAMU. At Brettschneider Executive Search, Angela uses her experience as a hiring manager to attract and assess talented leadership on a variety of levels. She has helped organizations grow and thrive and led organizations through tumultuous periods of leadership transition and financial turnaround. She has extensive expertise implementing strategic plans for fiscal stabilization to manage expenses, grow revenues, and reduce debt. Working collaboratively, she is a strong and effective visionary whose change management results benefit Brettschneider Executive Search clients across multiple fields and roles.
Brettschneider Executive Search clients appreciate Angela’s expertise as a Certified John Maxwell executive leadership coach, speaker, and trainer. Dr. Poole earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a Master of Accountancy degree from Florida State University, and Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the School of Business and Industry at FAMU. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Barry’s scholarly articles have been published in preeminent journals in the social sciences and medicine, and his essays on higher education and social issues have appeared in national newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
Angela Poole, Ph.D., CPA
As senior advisor on president and vice-president level searches for Brettschneider Executive Search, Angela Poole, Ph.D., CPA (she/her) brings more than 20 years of professional financial management experience as senior vice president and chief financial officer at public and private higher education institutions, including Florida A&M University, where she was directly responsible for hiring senior-level roles including human resource directors, controllers, all while working closely with academic searches. She serves clients across industries utilizing her not-for-profit leadership, systems implementation, and senior level experience with professional consulting firms, medical centers, local municipalities and state agencies.
Angela also brings her experience as the Senior Vice President/CFO at Talladega College and prior to that as VP Finance/CFO at FAMU. At Brettschneider Executive Search, Angela uses her experience as a hiring manager to attract and assess talented leadership on a variety of levels. She has helped organizations grow and thrive and led organizations through tumultuous periods of leadership transition and financial turnaround. She has extensive expertise implementing strategic plans for fiscal stabilization to manage expenses, grow revenues, and reduce debt. Working collaboratively, she is a strong and effective visionary whose change management results benefit Brettschneider Executive Search clients across multiple fields and roles.
Brettschneider Executive Search clients appreciate Angela’s expertise as a Certified John Maxwell executive leadership coach, speaker, and trainer. Dr. Poole earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a Master of Accountancy degree from Florida State University, and Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the School of Business and Industry at FAMU. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Angela also brings her experience as senior vice president/CFO at Talladega College and prior to that as vp finance/CFO at FAMU. At Brettschneider Executive Search, Angela uses her experience as a hiring manager to attract and assess talented leadership on a variety of levels. She has helped organizations grow and thrive and led organizations through tumultuous periods of leadership transition and financial turnaround. She has extensive expertise implementing strategic plans for fiscal stabilization to manage expenses, grow revenues, and reduce debt. Working collaboratively, she is a strong and effective visionary whose change management results benefit Brettschneider Executive Search clients across multiple fields and roles.
Brettschneider Executive Search clients appreciate Angela’s expertise as a Certified John Maxwell executive leadership coach, speaker, and trainer. Dr. Poole earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a Master of Accountancy degree from Florida State University, and Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the School of Business and Industry at FAMU. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Neta Borshansky, J.D.
As senior advisor at Brettschneider Executive Search, Neta Borshansky, J.D. (she/her) brings a client-centered and highly collaborative lens to her work with clients. Neta is an experienced lawyer with prestigious higher education and government experience and a passion for mission-driven work.
She began her legal career as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice before moving into legal education, where she spent nearly a decade as a director at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. There she helped legal employers, across sectors recruit high level talent, launched new and collaborative initiatives designed to promote careers in public service, and supported hundreds of lawyers as they launched their careers and made career transitions within competitive employment landscapes.
She began her legal career as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice before moving into legal education, where she spent nearly a decade as a director at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. There she helped legal employers, across sectors recruit high level talent, launched new and collaborative initiatives designed to promote careers in public service, and supported hundreds of lawyers as they launched their careers and made career transitions within competitive employment landscapes.
Dara Czerwonka, M.S.W., B.C.C., P.C.C
Dara Czerwonka (she/her) brings over 15 years of professional executive leadership experience to her role as an expert in finding, facilitating, and fostering great leadership. As a senior advisor to Brettschneider Executive Search, she collaborates with top industry leaders in healthcare, government, philanthropy, and education.
Haba’s accomplishments as a physician entrepreneur and healthcare executive include co-founding and serving as COO of SynapseBio, a venture-backed Healthtech startup using Machine Learning and EEG to transform the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease. He has also held leadership positions at Novartis, as Director of Business Operations for US Ophthalmics, a $500M+ franchise. Prior to his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Howard University Hospital, Haba received his M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his BS in Psychobiology from Florida Atlantic University.
With a background in governance, Dara has directly engaged with appointed and publicly-elected Trustees in search, on-boarding, and retention processes. Her eight-year tenure as an elected official provided her with invaluable insights into the complexities of executive appointments in a publicly-scrutinized hiring environment. She adeptly meets the needs of diverse stakeholders to identify leaders who align with larger organizational priorities.
Raised by a business school dean and professor, Dara has an insider’s understanding of higher education. She completed her undergraduate studies at Providence College and earned a Masters from SUNY Stony Brook, enhancing her perspective on higher learning institutions. As an advocate for education throughout her life, Dara led a 501c3 organization promoting access to quality higher education and served as a school board trustee. She continues her commitment by spearheading local efforts to secure college scholarships for children from impoverished families alongside her professional engagements with education leaders. She also serves as chair of the grants committee and board trustee for a community foundation in San Diego, actively supporting the nonprofit community.
Habimana Fonseca-Sabune, M.D.
As senior advisor, former McKinsey & Company consultant Habimana (Haba) Fonseca-Sabune, M.D. (he/him) brings experience leading strategic engagements for multiple Fortune 500 companies. Haba’s strategic mindset, strong interpersonal skills, collaborative approach, and experience as a thought partner to senior leaders at highly-matrixed organizations make him uniquely suited to guide search and support operational excellence in hospitals, healthcare, and higher education institutions as well as other global, complex organizations.
Haba’s accomplishments as a physician entrepreneur and healthcare executive include co-founding and serving as COO of SynapseBio, a venture-backed Healthtech startup using Machine Learning and EEG to transform the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease. He has also held leadership positions at Novartis, as Director of Business Operations for US Ophthalmics, a $500M+ franchise. Prior to his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Howard University Hospital, Haba received his M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his BS in Psychobiology from Florida Atlantic University.
Haba currently serves as director of growth and innovation at Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Haba’s accomplishments as a physician, entrepreneur, and healthcare executive include co-founding and serving as COO of SynapseBio, a venture-backed healthtech startup using machine learning and EEG to transform the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease. He has also held leadership positions at Novartis, as director of business operations for US Ophthalmics, a $500M+ franchise. Prior to his residency in orthopedic surgery at Howard University Hospital, Haba received his M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his B.S. in Psychobiology from Florida Atlantic University.
Kelli King-Jackson
As senior advisor to Brettschneider Executive Search, Kelli King-Jackson uses her twenty-five years of social impact and advocacy experience to advise foundation and social impact nonprofit searches. Having spent ten years in philanthropy, Kelli has helped grant more than $135M in funding to the Southern United States. She uses her expertise to help grantmakers make equitable investments in communities of color. Kelli also advises Black-led nonprofits to form meaningful partnerships with philanthropic organizations.
Throughout her career, she has skillfully formed strategic partnerships, built effective teams, and funded Southern communities. Kelli is an ACC-level coach with the International Coaching Federation. She is also a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor. Additionally, she is a member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers. Kelli remains hands-on in social impact work through board service and her personal philanthropy.
Throughout her career, she has skillfully formed strategic partnerships, built effective teams, and funded southern communities. Kelli is an ACC-level coach with the International Coaching Federation. She is also a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor. Additionally, she is a member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers. Kelli remains hands-on in social impact work through board service and her personal philanthropy.
Katherine Eckstein
As senior advisor to the the non-profit practice at Brettschneider Executive Search, Katherine Eckstein (she/her) brings more than twenty years of experience working in, and for, mission-driven non-profit organizations and government. Her career has focused on fighting poverty and promoting equity by concentrating on education and human services, and the overall systems charged with funding, making policy for and providing services in these areas.
Throughout her career, she has skillfully formed strategic partnerships, built effective teams, and funded Southern communities. Kelli is an ACC-level coach with the International Coaching Federation. She is also a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor. Additionally, she is a member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers. Kelli remains hands-on in social impact work through board service and her personal philanthropy.
Katherine began her career as a teacher and program director at a community center in Harlem before working with the NYC Department of Education in the Bronx. As Children’s Aid’s first director of public policy, Katherine developed systems and structures to organize and align the organization’s policy and advocacy work. She then shepherded Children’s Aid through a CEO transition as chief of staff and helped lead all aspects of the organization. Currently, Katherine is an independent consultant working with organizations and their leaders to set clear goals, build teams, assess overall effectiveness and plan for the future.
Katherine has expertise in organizational management, strategic planning and execution, coaching and team building, systems development, communications and fundraising, financial monitoring and oversight, board organization and support, HR transformation and real estate sales and acquisition. Believing in the power of connection and relationships in making an impact and fostering lasting change, her approach is to listen carefully, get to know the people with whom she works and chart a course together.
Katherine earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University and a graduate degree from Columbia University.
we hear you.
Brettschneider Executive Search’s process starts with listening. We take a holistic approach to executive search that centers around our clients’ unique needs at every stage of the process.