Elk Hill CEO Michael Farley to retire after 40 years of service

Elk Hill CEO Michael Farley To Retire After 40 Years of Service 

Chief Operating Officer Ronald Spears Will Lead the 50-Year-Old Nonprofit 

Goochland, Va.— Michael Farley, the longtime leader of the central Virginia nonprofit Elk Hill, will step down as CEO in June 2020.  

Under Farley’s leadership, the number of children served by Elk Hill more than tripled to 700 each year. He dramatically expanded the area Elk Hill serves, which stretches from York County to the city of Staunton.  

Most importantly,Farley guided Elk Hill to “go upstream” by intervening earlier in children’s lives. Elk Hill brings mental health services to youth and families where they are — in schools and in homes — and operates three schools for children with emotional and behavioral challenges, in addition to four therapeutic group homes. 

“I am very proud of our flexibility over the years to evolve and adapt, which has resulted in a continuum of services and programs, helping many more children and families,”Farley said. “Throughout those many changes and significant growth in services and numbers of children served, we have maintained our values-driven culture and our mission.”     

Farley joined Elk Hill in 1980, working as a counselor for young men who had been diverted from the juvenile justice system. He intended to stay only for a year and then return to Kenya, where he had served with the Peace Corps. However, Farley found his calling at Elk Hill. He worked for many years as director of programs, becoming executive director in 1999 and chief executive officer in 2012. In retirement, Farley plans to continue his longtime charitable work in Kenya, raising funds for the Makindu Children’s Program by organizing Proper Walks and Safaris. 

Elk Hill’s new chief executive officer will be Ronald Spears. Spears has worked with Farley for 36 years, since joining Elk Hill as a youth counselor in 1984. He served as team leader, admissions and aftercare coordinator, director of community services, and director of programs before becoming chief operations officer. 

As CEO, Spears says, his primary goal will be continuing to uphold the culture and organizational integrity that Farley built. That culture is centered on a simple question, he said: “What’s best for children? It really does comedown to providing quality services for the children and families we’re charged with serving.” 

In 2020, Elk Hill celebrates 50 years of working with Virginia’s children. Through early intervention, comprehensive services, and one-on-one support, the organization has helped generations of children and families transform overwhelming challenges into successful futures. With the support of private donors, Elk Hill provides services to children who need them, regardless of whether public funding is available. Learn more at elkhill.org. 

Contact: Jessica Cocciolone, Chief Development Officer 

804-457-4866 x310 or jcocciolone@elkhill.org 

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