BoardWalk Consulting, a national executive search firm exclusively focused on nonprofit and foundation leadership, is proud to announce that Sarah Gaines has joined the firm as Director. Her arrival marks the integration of her boutique search practice, JUNE Partners, into the BoardWalk platform, bringing together two values-driven firms with a shared commitment to excellence, integrity, and mission-centered leadership.

Based just outside Princeton, NJ, Sarah strengthens BoardWalk’s national presence, particularly across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, while further strengthening the firm’s reach in complex leadership searches.

Sarah brings decades of experience spanning nonprofit administration and executive search. She partners closely with boards and senior leaders to recruit executives who lead with clarity, purpose, and strategic vision. Her work is distinguished by a deeply relational approach, a commitment to inclusive search practices, and a nuanced understanding of organizational dynamics shaped by years of hands-on nonprofit leadership.

“Sarah Gaines embodies everything we value at BoardWalk, including thoughtful partnership, deep sector knowledge, and an unwavering commitment to mission,” said Crystal Stephens, CEO & Managing Director of BoardWalk Consulting. “Her experience and national network will enhance our ability to serve nonprofit clients at the highest level. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team.”

Added Sam Pettway, BoardWalk’s Founding Director, “Sarah is a treasure. We have known her and her work for nearly a decade, and we are confident our clients and our firm will benefit significantly from her experience, her judgment and her perspective.”

Prior to joining BoardWalk, Sarah founded and led JUNE Partners, a retained executive search firm focused on higher education, academic medicine, and the nonprofit sector. She previously served as Associate Partner at another national search firm, where she led leadership searches for colleges, universities, and academic medical centers. Earlier in her career, Sarah worked directly within nonprofit organizations in leadership roles spanning fundraising, marketing, and program development across the education, museum, and social service sectors, experience that continues to inform her work with boards and executive teams.

Sarah shares “I am drawn to BoardWalk’s values, inclusive practices, collaborative spirit, and the commitment to finding leaders that matter for missions that matter®. JUNE was founded on principles of excellence and integrity, and I celebrate the opportunity to join a firm that shares these values and a deep belief that leadership truly matters deeply. Joining BoardWalk allows me to bring the full breadth of my experience to clients while working with extraordinary colleagues singularly focused on strengthening the nonprofit sector.”

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in English from New York University and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration from Rosemont College. She currently divides her time between Charlottesville, Virginia, and Central New Jersey, though she continues to feel deep connections to the communities she previously called home: New York, Philadelphia, and the Detroit Region.