Rick Perciante, Executive Director, Oakville & Milton Humane Society

Rick Perciante, Executive Director, Oakville & Milton Humane Society

Four years ago, we worked with the Board of the Oakville & Milton Humane Society (OMHS) to place Rick Perciante as their incoming Executive Director. The Board was looking for a leader who would elevate OMHS’s business practices and bring a new level of professionalism to the organization. Like many small organizations, the OMHS was limited by not being able to afford the level of leadership they needed to grow and take the Society to the next level. They had visions of what they wanted for the organization and needed to find the right person to help them achieve their goals, which eventually would include a capital campaign to replace the existing building.

I remember my first discussion with Rick. He was a senior leader at the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). I was searching for a candidate for OMHS, and it was almost an offhand question when I asked: “Do you know anyone who is passionate about animals?” He said, “I have a passion for animals,” and it was an aha moment for both of us. Rick was an experienced leader in the sector with almost 25 years at the Canadian Cancer Society in a variety of senior leadership roles–operations, marketing and fundraising. Rick had a great combination of skills to run an organization that, while small in nature, was complex in need. Rick was retiring from the CCS, which afforded him the opportunity to take such a role. It was an exciting win/win.

Four years later, and with two rescue dogs added to his family, I caught up with Rick to ask him about his transition from a large national corporate charity to a small hands-on community-based organization working with people and animals. I also bravely asked him if he would do it all over again if I were to call him—or if, when he saw my name on the call display, he might decide to let the call go to voicemail.  Here’s what he said…

If you had to do it all over again, would you take the job?

His response was an unequivocal YES to this. He said that while his career prior to OMHS had been rewarding and he’d learned and accomplished a lot, he’d been ready to join a smaller grassroots organization working more closely with the community. The OMHS role gave him the opportunity to have a tangible impact, work again with a grassroots Board of Directors and allowed him a new opportunity to practice authentic and genuine leadership. He is surprised at how much he has grown personally and professionally in the role, more than he could have ever imagined.

What advice would you offer others making such a transition?

• Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and move outside your role as ED; limited resources mean it’s often necessary to step outside your Executive Director lane and be comfortable and willing to do so.
• Create the network of support that would normally be available in a large organization. Rick enjoys being part of a large group of shelter leaders who are his new peer group.
• Recognize that staff in a community-based charity may not have had exposure to more complex or developed business practices but in time they can be learned, embraced  and appreciated.
• Find the resources to help staff do their jobs better in an organization where sophisticated systems may not exist. Many staff have been told that because their organization is small they can’t expect the same high level of support found in large organizations. Rick challenged that thinking and found ways to fund systems and best practices.

What were you most surprised by?

Before joining the organization Rick wouldn’t have imagined owners would give up their pets just because they couldn’t find anyone to look after them when the owner went on vacation. And he was shocked by the levels of abuse and cruelty to animals. He said the look in an animal’s eyes when it has been abandoned and injured is heartbreaking. But he was also deeply gratified to see them after they’d been cared for and rehabilitated by OMHS staff.

What are you most proud of?

• Creating the first-ever pet food bank at OMHS; feeding over 100,000 meals for animals in it’s first year during the COVID-19 pandemic and establishing amazing new partnerships that pave the way for more community involvement and revenue-generating opportunities.
• The growth of their foster program and making a paradigm shift to place animals right into the homes of foster parents and keep them out of shelter life knowing this is what’s best for the animals.
• Modernizing the adoption program to essentially make it virtual using video and photography to describe animals to potential owners.
• Establishing a comprehensive salary administration and benefits program to recognize the importance and value staff bring to the organization.
• Advancing technology for the OMHS with an evergreen program for equipment, providing access to the latest software and leading efforts to build an integrated CRM system
• And now that the systems and best practices are in place, planning for their big capital campaign.

Thank you, Rick, for the great work you are doing for our furry friends.