Meaningful Mission Undermined by Dysfunctional Governance - Executive Director UNIDAD of Miami Beach Employee Review

I worked in a leadership role at this organization and was initially excited about the mission of serving seniors in the Miami Beach community. The staff who work directly with participants are dedicated and care deeply about the people they serve. Unfortunately, the overall work environment made it extremely difficult to succeed in the role. The organization is governed directly by a volunteer board that is very involved in day-to-day operations. In my experience, this structure created frequent confusion around authority, decision-making, and communication. Expectations were often unclear, priorities shifted quickly, and it was difficult to establish consistent processes for programs funded through multiple public grants. Leadership turnover and internal tension appeared to be recurring issues. Rather than focusing on long-term planning or program improvement, a significant amount of time was spent navigating internal dynamics and responding to criticism. The mission of the organization and the seniors it serves deserve stability and strong leadership support, but the governance structure and management approach made that challenging during my time there. Pros: - Dedicated frontline staff. - Meaningful mission serving older adults. - Important services for the community.