Hi, I'm

Stephen Colón

Nonprofit executive putting mission into motion. Systems thinker, coalition-builder, and devoted nail-polish enthusiast.

Get in touch See my background
Portrait of Stephen Colón speaking at a podium

Get to know me

Leading the work that makes mission possible

I'm a nonprofit executive drawn to the unglamorous work that makes mission possible: the budgets, the systems, the teams, the trust. My career has run through government workforce programs and mission-driven nonprofits, and the thread connecting all of it is the same conviction—that you build cultures of operational excellence by first building relational infrastructure.

I've led budgets from a quarter-million to ten million dollars and teams from a couple of people to fifty, turned around deficits, restored community trust, and built teams that take on hard problems together. I care less about being the smartest person in the room than about leaving the room more capable than I found it.

What I'm up to now

Turnaround complete. Ready for the next one.

In July 2026 I wrapped a two-year engagement as Interim CEO of Kensington Community Church & Preschool, a 95-year-old institution in San Diego. Brought in to steer it through a high-stakes leadership transition, I stabilized its finances—its first break-even year in nearly a decade—rebuilt community trust, and concluded the engagement with a successful search for a permanent CEO.

Now I'm looking for my next executive role in the nonprofit sector. Alongside the search, I advise nonprofits and the philanthropists who fund them on development, operations, outreach, and strategy.

I'm home in Southern California's Inland Empire and open to impact-driven work in Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties, as well as with remote organizations.

Background

Experience

  1. Interim Chief Executive Officer

    Apr 2024 – Jul 2026

    Kensington Community Church & Preschool

    Brought in to lead a 95-year-old church and preschool through a high-stakes leadership transition. Managed a >$5MM treasury and a $2MM budget with 17 direct and indirect reports. Engagement concluded after a successful search for a permanent CEO.

    • First break-even year in nearly a decade.
    • 5x growth in designated giving, plus a record unrestricted gift.
    • Employee satisfaction up from an eNPS of 17 to 77.
    • Membership engagement up 18%; reversed a 15% decline in member giving.

  2. Vice President of Growth

    Dec 2022 – Apr 2024

    Climb Hire

    Transformed operations for a $5MM national nonprofit (25+ staff), leading a rebrand and growth strategy that turned underperforming functions into real impact.

    • >$7.5MM in net revenue gains—more than the entire annual budget.
    • Enrollment up 3x (+320% in two quarters) while cutting acquisition costs ~50%.
    • $1M in costs reduced.
    • Diversified funding across government, philanthropy, and individual giving.

  3. Director of Customer Experience

    Aug 2020 – Dec 2022

    San Diego Workforce Partnership promoted from Senior Manager, July 2021

    Founded a new department to reinvent service delivery for a $40MM organization serving tens of thousands a year—turning critics into advocates during a turbulent leadership period.

    • Beat every customer-experience metric by 30%+.
    • Cut time-to-enrollment by 7 business days (a >50% improvement).
    • Lifted survey response rates from under 5% to nearly 20%.
    • Steadied 50+ staff across six career centers through a CEO transition.

  4. Manager of Programs

    Feb 2015 – Aug 2020

    San Diego Workforce Partnership joined as Specialist (2/2015), promoted to Coordinator (10/2015), then Manager (2017)

    Oversaw a multimillion-dollar portfolio of public- and privately-funded programs, turning aspirations into measurable outcomes across one of the org's most visible areas.

    • Managed 13 programs (>$3.5MM) serving 6,000 youth a year, with 21 reports.
    • Designed and piloted the County of San Diego's first pay-for-performance youth workforce program (later converted to a 5-year contract).
    • Drove enterprise-wide adoption of a new case-management and evaluation system.

Education

  • Certificate in Urban Leadership RISE San Diego & University of San Diego · 2017
  • B.A., Organization Studies (Leadership & Change Management) Pitzer College, a member of the Claremont Colleges · 2014

Contact

Get in touch

Whether you're hiring, scheming up a partnership, or just want to talk shop—I'd love to hear from you.

Email me Book time with me

Or reach me directly at stephen@stephencolon.com.