Donovan-240.jpg Todd Donovan
Nominated by NAMI New Hampshire

Member, NAMI Manchester NH
Listen to Todd's Candidate Speech

Job Title or Position:

  • CEO & President

NAMI Leadership Experience:

  • NAMI New Hampshire (4 Years-Director & 2 Years-President)

Additional NAMI Involvement:

  • NAMI In Our Own Voice Speaker (2015). Have spoken to over 20,000 participants.

Public Service:

  • Paramedic 33 years & Firefighter/Paramedic 21 years (Retired Lieutenant)

Relationship to Mental Health:

  • Individual with first-person experience of mental illness 

Candidate Strengths Assessment

The candidate indicated they have experience in the following areas that will help NAMI achieve its mission and strategic goals:

  • Business/Nonprofit Administration, Business/Nonprofit Leadership, Philanthropy/Donor Cultivation


The candidate indicated they have connections and networks in the following areas:

  • Human Resources/Personnel, Information Technology, Philanthropy

Candidate Leadership Style

The candidate indicated the following descriptors represent their leadership style:

  • Consensus Builder, Data Driven, Innovator, Outcome-oriented, Process Thinker, Risk Taker

Candidate Narrative

The candidate indicated specific skill areas identified as high priority for the 2024-2025 Board where they excel and additional skill areas that would be an asset to the NAMI Board: 

Represent the New England region of the country.  I have a clear and compelling vision for the future and know how to effectively communicate it with a visionary leadership style. I can create a heightened sense of urgency while gaining clarity and direction toward achieving NAMI's goals. Visionary leadership is a powerful leadership style that not only attracts other visionary leaders but also lays the groundwork for philanthropic endeavors. When announcing new partnerships and ventures, I utilize social media platforms to generate curiosity and conversations.

I specialize in providing consulting services to Emergency Services Organizations, with a focus on data strategy, management, and analysis. Data strategy is about preventing "garbage in - garbage out" scenarios. Data management is similar to strategy, but it focuses on how data silos interact with the everyday practices and operations of an organization. Finally, data analysis involves understanding your data and making it operational. This means making the data relatable by visualizing it, not just presenting numbers.
 

I personally have helped advance the NAMI mission in my community by...
As an "In Our Own Voice" speaker, my story has reached thousands and many more in perpetuity through recorded speaking engagements. My speeches and personal experience were among the first to address mental health, PTSD, and treatment in first responder communities. Nowadays, there are many new speakers joining the conversation, which gives me the opportunity to take a break from speaking. It's refreshing to see fresh faces raise awareness about mental health issues.  I have learned more about myself while speaking about my lived experience with major depression and tardive dyskinesia! My condition compelled me to be a leader locally.

I work well in coordination with other leaders to accomplish goals as evidenced by...
Developing emotional intelligence is crucial for fostering understanding and support in the workplace. I work in coordination and support of our Executive Director, Susan Stearns, at NAMI New Hampshire. I have developed a strong working relationship with her and engaged meaningfully, which has led to succession planning becoming a top priority in our organization. While we have made progress towards this goal, it is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort. At NAMI NH, we have established processes to identify top talent, foster future leaders, and provide support to our staff.

Help Center

Visit our Help Center to learn about and share knowledge on a variety of topics, including NAMI 360, membership management, the NAMI Convention, Helpline FAQ, class reporting and more.