ABOUT OUR TEAM

KEVIN CHASE, MANAGING PARTNER (HE/HIM)

In a career spanning more than two decades, Kevin Chase has led dozens of Executive Search & Leadership Transition engagements for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, as well as companies in the finance, technology, and professional services sectors. Since 2008, Kevin has worked exclusively in the Not-for-Profit Sector, serving clients in the Human Services, LGBT Advocacy & Social Justice, Healthcare Philanthropy, Education, and Arts & Culture sectors – all with a focus on Diversity & Inclusion.

Kevin established Kevin Chase Executive Search Group in 2015 with a simple vision in mind: to help advance the vital work of mission-based nonprofit organizations by providing transformational leadership solutions and talent. Immediately prior to launching his own practice, Kevin was Managing Director in the Los Angeles office of Diversified Search, a top-ten, global, retained search firm, partnering with clients in the Nonprofit and Higher Education sectors. Previously, he was a Partner with McCormack & Associates, a boutique search firm and recognized leader in Diversity & Inclusion search.

The majority of Kevin’s engagements are for Executive Director/CEO, Senior Development, and Board positions, though he has also conducted searches for C-Level leaders of Finance, Operations, and Programs. Kevin has particular expertise in working with small- to mid-sized, mission-driven nonprofits, providing consultation and advisory services to the Boards and Leadership Volunteers responsible for governance and organizational development. His holistic approach to these engagements encompasses all elements of leadership transition: from the assessment, strategy, and stakeholder engagement that precede the launch of a search, all the way through to the on-boarding and integration of the hired executive.

Prior to his transition into the Nonprofit sector, Kevin spent more than a dozen years working with Business & Professional Services clients as a Partner in the Los Angeles and New York offices of Battalia Winston, AT Kearney Executive Search, and Paul Ray Berndtson. He began his executive search career with Haas International and spent his first two years in Haas’ Tokyo office.

Kevin grew up in Utah and attended Brigham Young University, graduating in 1989 with a degree in Public Relations. After 13 years in New York City, Kevin relocated to Los Angeles where he now lives with his partner, Paulo Murillo, and two canine daughters. He recently served for two year as Board Co-Chair of Point Foundation. He was previously a Board member of the West Hollywood Recovery Center and a member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s West Coast Certification Committee.

CATIE DIFELICE, SR. CONSULTANT (SHE/HER)

Catie DiFelice joined Kevin Chase Executive Search Group in January 2016 as Senior Associate, bringing more than five years of retained executive search experience. Catie’s search career includes work in the Technology, Healthcare, and Consumer markets in addition to her primary focus in Nonprofit and Higher Education.

Although she has helped recruit C-suite and other senior executives in many markets and sectors, Catie has always felt most connected to her work on behalf of mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations. Her broad nonprofit search experience cuts across the healthcare, civil rights/social justice, education, and arts & culture sectors. Functionally, Catie’s professional expertise includes CEO/ED and general management roles, senior development/fundraising/advancement leadership, chief programmatic and financial officers, and both academic and administrative leadership in higher education.

Among her recent, notable successes are the recruitment of Executive Directors for JDRF, Komen for the Cure, More Light Presbyterians, and Equality North Carolina; CDO/Directors of Development for the Smithsonian, Harvard University, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Penn State; Dean and Chancellor searches at University of Arizona and University of Washington, Tacoma; and CIO/VP Technology searches for Aurora Health Care and Catholic Health Initiatives.

Prior to joining Kevin Chase Executive Search, Catie was an Associate – and previously Research Associate – in the Los Angeles office of Diversified Search, a “Top Ten” U.S. retained executive search firm. During her tenure at Diversified, Catie played an integral role in more than 200 successfully completed executive searches across multiple industries. In addition to candidate identification and development work, Catie provided market assessment, search strategy, talent mapping, and relationship management support on dozens of senior-level searches.

Catie grew up in South Carolina and began her career with Kevin Chase Executive as a resident of South Pasadena, CA. She now lives in El Paso, TX with her daughter. She is a strong supporter of Point Foundation and previously served as a Board Member and event Co-Chair of the South Pasadena Educational Foundation.

KATHERINE CHARAPKO, SR. CONSULTANT-AT-LARGE (SHE/HER)

Katherine Charapko brings broad and varied search experience in nonprofit faith, clergy, and lay ministry work to Kevin Chase Executive Search Group clients. Katherine has more than two decades of professional executive search experience, including 10 years at Battalia Winston in NYC where she and Kevin were colleagues. Katherine has served as an Elder in the Collegiate Church of New York City for many years with roles on the Executive Committee the Finance Committee, and as Chair of the West End Collegiate Church Consistory.

In addition to a recent role at Wilderstein Historic Site (a house museum in Rhinebeck NY), Katherine has worked as the interim (non-ordained) Head of Staff at a church in crisis until an Ordained Interim Pastor was called. This experience sparked her interest to work with church search committees recruiting Ordained and Lay persons into “called” and staff roles.

Katherine began her career in New York City working in banking which led to several years traveling and delivering education, training, and consulting for large, global banks. She was lucky enough to live for a time in Lausanne and Paris and is fluent in French with a working knowledge of German. She earned her BA in Economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Katherine and her husband, Peter, recently relocated to Dallas, TX, from Rhinebeck, NY, to be near their son and new grandson.

STEPHANIE M. “STEP” FILLYAW, SR. ASSOCIATE-AT-LARGE (SHE/HER)

Stephanie Fillyaw is a business consultant with a background in operations management, talent acquisition, and DEI workplace strategy. Step’s passion for people led her into creating and implementing inclusive strategies in talent acquisition and employee relations with both McMaster-Carr Supply and McKinsey & Company; in the case of the former, helping to build the company’s DEI strategy from the ground up. During her time with McKinsey & Company, Stephanie trained colleagues on affinity recruiting strategies and executed full-cycle recruiting solely focused on attracting talent across minority and traditionally underserved groups. She also cultivated and coached talent, lending to a historic record of Black, Hispanic-Latinx, LGBTQIA+ and women hires.

Step cut her teeth in retail operations, helping to manage multi-million-dollar stores for two major big box companies (Target and Lowe’s). Here she discovered her passion for developing others and creating career pathways for brilliant talent, while gaining a reputation of integrity and creative solutions. Drawing from over a decade of combined experience across operations, recruiting and people strategy, Step is excited to leverage her skills in service to the clients of Kevin Chase Executive Search Group.

Stephanie is a North Carolina native, proudly from a small town outside of Wilmington, NC. She attended Queens University of Charlotte, obtaining a BA in Political Science (2009), and earned a Masters of International Studies from the University of South Carolina (2011). She leverages her academic and professional excellence, world travels, and lived experiences as a queer, black woman to inform her work and connect with people from all walks of life.

GABY GARCIA-VERA, ASSOCIATE-AT-LARGE (ALL PRONOUNS)

Gaby Garcia-Vera is a Queer Latinx Puerto Rican with more than 16 years of experience across social justice movements, with a focus on reproductive justice, racial equity through a pro-Black, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ Liberation lens.

In addition to Gaby’s work with Kevin Chase Executive Search, they serve as a Senior Advisor to Consult Catalina, a consulting firm run and founded by Queer and Trans people of color. For nearly a decade Gaby has been part of the leadership team for Union=Fuerza Latinx Institute, a one day convene aimed at bringing Queer and Trans Latinx organizers from around the country together to help advance their leadership in fundraising, campaigns, and culture shift work. Gaby is a former member of the Trevor Project’s National Youth Advisory Council combating stigma surrounding mental health and suicide prevention amongst LGBTQ youth. In 2021 Gaby was named a Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Fellow with Rockwood Leadership Institute.

Gaby has also formerly served in leadership at various organizations including as the Field Director for The National LGBTQ Task Force, Advocacy Manager at Catholics for Choice, Executive Director of GetEQUAL and the Florida state Field and Advocacy Manager for the Latina Institute. Gaby believes in centering passion for innovation, connection, and vulnerability as a model for leadership

Gaby has also completed popular and political education training with Ancient Song Doula Services and is an abortion doula. They have also done training with Wayside Center for Popular Education where they completed coursework surrounding interpretation for social justice. Gaby has led multilingual collectives that prioritize language justice as integral in building solidarity and extending resources to non-English speakers mostly within rural areas.

JAMES R. RICE, III , ASSOCIATE-AT-LARGE (HE/HIM)

James Rice III brings both lived and professional experience at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality to his work at Kevin Chase Executive Search. An accomplished leader and change management expert, James has more than seven years of experience in mission-driven, direct service and social impact organizations, informed by a lifetime in ministry and a love for people to our team. Having a strong anti-racism and gender equity lens, James seeks and advocates for underrepresented individuals and communities, while providing an additional equity lens throughout the search process. James graduated with his B.A. in Communication in 2010 and currently resides in Charlotte, NC, but considers Columbia, SC, (where he was raised) as home. When not doing recruiting and advocacy, work James is a Segway enthusiast and local event host.