Barbara Nurenberg, a veteran nonprofit executive with more than 35 years of expertise in service to special populations, has been named president and chief executive officer of Seagull Services.
Founded in 1979, the organization formerly known as Seagull Industries for the Disabled provides advocacy and services to individuals with disabilities and their families, and at the same time provides important workforce development and employment services for people who have barriers to employment.
In her new role, Nurenberg will be responsible for the strategic management, marketing and development of the organization, focused on broad-based services, including residential, vocational, case coordination and management, transportation, education, training and job placement. In addition, she will oversee Seagull Academy for Independent Living (SAIL), a charter school designed to meet the individual learning needs of students with developmental challenges and learning disabilities.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to lead Seagull Services,” Nurenberg said. “My first priority is maintaining the top-notch service that Seagull has historically provided and that has benefited our community. However, at the same time, my goal is to expand the options. We will be moving to more community-based employment for our adult clients with disabilities. We’ll also expand the extra-curricular opportunities and internships for our students at Seagull Academy.”
Previously, Nurenberg served as president and CEO of the Detroit-based nonprofit JVS. In her 21-year tenure, she grew the organization from an operating budget of $6.5 million in 1992 to $21 million in 2013, serving approximately 16,000 individuals and families annually. Prior to her position as CEO, she served as associate executive director of JVS, which was established in 1941 as Jewish Vocational Service.
Nurenberg earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit. Her post-graduate studies include Wayne State University School of Social Work Sequence in Gerontology, Harvard Business School Not-for-Profit Management and Michigan State University School of Social Work.
A long-time supporter of the nonprofit community, she serves as a consultant for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). She also has served on numerous nonprofit boards.
Nurenberg has been recognized with numerous awards, including the United Way Community Services for Southeastern Michigan’s Executive of the Year, the Harvard Business School Club of Detroit’s Nonprofit Leadership Award and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Award for pacesetting executive leadership.
For more information about Seagull Services, call (561) 842-5814 or call www.seagull.org.
ABOVE: Barbara Nurenberg
