Reed Hartley Named New Free Wheelchair Mission Executive Director

Irvine, CA, July 19, 2013 --(PR.com)-- After an intensive six-month search in collaboration with the Dingman Company, Free Wheelchair Mission is pleased to announce Mr. Reed Hartley has been appointed the organization’s new Executive Director. The move was made following the departure of the organization’s former Executive Director, Mr. Stuart Nichols, who departed in January, 2013 to take a position with a local corporation. Free Wheelchair Mission was piloted in the interim by Mr. David Arnold, President of DLA Consulting.

Reed, having just returned from El Salvador working with an outstanding group of volunteers, was ready to get to work. “I am inspired by the immediate transformation in the lives of the people we serve. We provided free wheelchairs to scores of people from two to ninety-two years old. Many of them had never had a wheelchair. They experienced for the first time the freedom and dignity which come from mobility. Our supporters, partners, and volunteers around the world are a wonderful team; they change lives every time we deliver a wheelchair.”

Mr. Hartley comes to Free Wheelchair Mission after serving as Vice President at Opportunity International, a Christian microfinance organization serving four million clients in over 20 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Previously, Reed was a senior sales leader in both Fortune 500 and startup companies. He is an executive with a successful track record of recruiting, training and developing high performing sales organizations and developing managers for greater responsibility. Reed has driven consistent revenue and profit growth in services, software and non-profits, with P&L responsibility from $15 million to $240 million. He has led regional and national sales organizations, enhanced collaboration with partners, as well as improved organizational processes.

Jim Franklin, Chairman of Free Wheelchair Mission’s Board is excited to have Mr. Harley onboard. “I think that we were able to prayerfully consider a group of exceedingly qualified candidates with the help of the Dingman Company,” said Mr. Franklin, “but ultimately we believe we made the right choice in selecting Reed to serve as our Executive Director. He has a proven track record of success and growth with the other organizations he’s been a part of and I believe he is the right man to guide us to our goal of providing 1.2 million wheelchairs to individuals with disabilities in the developing world by 2017.”

Dr. Don Schoendorfer, Free Wheelchair Mission’s President and Founder welcomed Reed to the organization. “I had the opportunity to spend quality time with our candidates during the interviewing process and when I got to spend time with Reed, I knew that he was a great fit for our organization. We are indebted to Stuart [Nichols] for his service here and to Dave [Arnold] for taking the reins in the interim, and I am confident that we will continue to innovate and grow the groundwork those two gentlemen established through Reed’s very capable hands. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store not only for our staff, but especially for the people we serve around the world.”

Free Wheelchair Mission will introduce Mr. Reed publicly at their 10th Annual Magic of Mobility Gala on the evening of July 23, 2013.

About Free Wheelchair Mission: FWM is a humanitarian, faith-based organization that seeks to “provide the transforming gift of mobility to the impoverished disabled in developing countries, as motivated by Jesus Christ.” Since 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission has sent over 700,000 specially-made wheelchairs to people living in 87 countries around the world, providing not only mobility, but dignity, independence, and hope.