Praise & Accolades

Pillar works with clients to support and solve their executive search and human resources consulting needs.  Read what clients have to say in praise of their Pillar experience!

Nonprofit and mission-driven executive search clients and candidates:

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great job you’ve done with the JVS CIO search. Not only did you present an incredibly talented and diverse pool of candidates, but you were such a pleasure to work with. You quickly got who we are and what our aspirations are for the CIO role and presented candidates any one of whom would have been a good hire. All that is to say you did a fantastic job and I want to make sure you use us as a reference because you will get a great one.” Kira Khazatsky, Chief Executive Officer, JVS Boston

“In this tough hiring market, your support made a world of difference. We’re thrilled Anusha has joined our team.” Jennifer Hawkins, President & Executive Director, ONE Neighborhood Builders

“Earlier this year I was a finalist for a C-suite-level position. It was a long process with some very opaque moments. I stayed with it because the recruiter (the amazing Cindy Joyce – hire her today!) showed up in every interaction in a human-centered way. When I asked her why she invested so much in candidates, she told me that she simply thought about how she would want to be treated. I felt more respected by her than I have felt by any recruiter I’ve ever interacted with and it made me respect the organization I was interviewing at that much more. It meant that I stuck with the process through the final stages. Her human-centered approach made her more successful.” Elizabeth McWhorter, former search candidate, Founder, CJ Collaborations

“Cindy worked with us to find an Executive Director for the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, VT.  From her first site visit, she was able to quickly synthesis the salient facts about the environment, the center and the position.  She listened very well.  She immediately began fielding candidates, providing a written summary of her conversation with those individuals she felt were a good fit.  She facilitated the site visits and assisted in the reference and background checks.  We are able to hire a very qualified candidate who we believe will provide long term direction and stability to the Art Center.  I appreciate Cindy’s entrepreneurial bent.  She clearly loves what she does, and does it well.”  Bob Van Degna, Board President, Southern Vermont Arts Center

I can’t say enough about the work Cindy did for one of my clients to find and then support the hiring of an extremely talented Chief Digital Technology Officer in a competitive market. Cindy expertly navigated multiple constituencies internally so that all of the voices were heard, while also ensuring that we stuck to our process. The result for my nonprofit client was a mind-blowing candidate pool and, in the end, a unanimous choice among the internal parties for the person they hired. Many thanks to you, Cindy, for guiding my client and professionally managing their search to an extremely positive conclusion!” Emily Helm, Small Business Consultant at Game Plan Partners, Chief Digital Technology Officer, VolunteerMatch

“I had the pleasure of working with Cindy on two executive search projects for Human Resources and Finance leadership positions. I found Cindy to be more honest and forthcoming in terms of process and candidate status than any other executive search partner I’ve worked with. She was receptive to feedback and adjusted her search criteria in response to our evolving search needs. Most importantly, Cindy kept a firm grasp on our culture fit requirements and didn’t sacrifice those in the name of search expediency. Cindy was wonderful to work with and her support, patience, and perspective were so valuable to me!” Bethany Eshleman, Chief Financial Officer, Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley

“Cindy was an incredible support throughout my recent hiring process. She balances candor with warmth and delves deeply into a candidate’s work history. I felt valued for my contributions to the non-profit sector and confident that she described my skills/experience in detail with the organizaton that considered (and hired!) me for their open role.” Gabe Scheck, Chief Advancement Officer, LIFT

“I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Cindy during my transition to a new and exciting employment opportunity. And I must say, she is the consummate professional! If you want to engage with someone who is timely, goes the extra mile, and keeps you informed at every stage of the placement process, then Cindy is your go-to resource. I would highly recommend her for all your Human Resource / Placement needs.” Kevin J. Parham, Senior Director of Career Center Operations, JVS

“Cindy – both personally and professionally – is rock solid. She is generous in her time, advice, and knowledge. Cindy is thoughtful and precise as a recruiter and a fierce businesswoman. She is someone I admire for the scope and depth of her work. I would recommend her to anyone on both ends of the job search – an individual seeking guidance, or a company looking for the right hire.” Emily Godamanna, Founder, Space to BE

“I have had the pleasure of working with Cindy over the past few years as COO of an Executive Function Coaching company. Every time I reach out to Cindy, I have found her to not only be responsive, warm, and genuine but to truly have a tirelessness to her approach. Cindy’s approach is so smart and thought out. She not only took the time to really understand our company of almost 500 employees but to understand the roles we were looking to fill in ways that I did not expect. She wanted to find the right fit just as much as we did and did not give up until we found the right candidate. Cindy goes above and beyond to ensure that as her client, our needs were met and expectations were exceeded. I would whole-heartedly endorse the work that Cindy has done with our company and would encourage anyone considering working with her to confidently do so, you won’t regret it!” Rachel Krompinger, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Function Coach, Beyond BookSmart  

“I have had the pleasure of working with Cindy Joyce in a variety of capacities over the years. Most recently, our organization retained Cindy to help us with a search. Cindy was a joy to work with, understanding the nuances of the search, and delivered an exceptional candidate all within a very condensed timeline of 10 weeks. In that time, she presented 6 candidates, one that we hired for the role, and two others that we are considering for other roles. Cindy “gets it” and makes you feel like you are her number one priority.”  Laura Suliga, Senior Manager, HR & Talent, Reading Partners

“We loved working with Cindy! She helped us hire our new Sales Director and we were thrilled with her process. She cast a very wide net and clearly worked hard to bring us the best candidates, and her communication throughout was excellent. She handled candidate screening interviews, prepared great candidate summaries, and communicated effectively with all candidates. She even went the extra mile for an in-person meeting with our final candidate when she was in Boston. Highly recommended!!” Emily Stone, CEO and Founder, Uncommon Cacao 

“Cindy conducted the Sales Director search for Uncommon Cacao of which I was a candidate, and it has been such a joy to coordinate and communicate with Cindy. She helped me be discreet and work around my busy schedule. When we had a chance to meet in-person, it felt so effortless to make the connection face-to-face. Cindy and I both love food and when we got to talking about that, she was so thoughtful to follow up after our meeting and share some of her friend’s Rubarama spice mixes and recipes with me!  I am so happy to have connected with Cindy and look forward to having her support, vibrant and caring energy in my network!”  Anjuli Dharna, Sales Director, Uncommon Cacao

“Cindy did a great job with the recruiting and hiring of our new Executive Director.  She was very thorough, provided guidance every step of the way and most importantly, she was a pleasure to work with.  I would highly recommend her services.”  Ben Weiss, Board Vice President, Yestermorrow Design Build School

“Cindy and I have worked together on a number of hard-to-fill roles for Year Up.  As an external talent acquisition partner, Cindy led outreach efforts to increase the number of diverse and qualified applicants for each role.  As a former Year Up mentor, Cindy was familiar with my organization but she also went the extra step to learn more about the specific needs of a role and team – candidates always leave conversations with her feeling more excited about our mission.  Cindy is responsive, drives for results, and is a great partner to have!”  Janny Henchcliffe, Corporate Recruiter, Year Up

“Pillar Search provided excellent assistance in our search for a President/CEO.  Cindy put together a list of very qualified candidates, performed screening and filtering, assisted with the interview process, and remained involved and helpful through the entire process.  Well done!”  Steve Whitney, Board Chair, New England ACH Association  (NEACH)

“Cindy was terrific to work with as the recruiter for Year Up. She was incredibly responsive and fully engaged in the process from beginning to official acceptance. A true professional and a pleasure to work with.”  Willow Bechtel, Senior Director of National Accounts, Year Up

“I had the pleasure of working with Cindy in my volunteer position as World Animal Protection US President. She lead the search for the Executive Director of our US office which is based in New York City. From beginning to end the process was comprehensive and flawless and it reached a successful conclusion.”  Jay Bowen, Founder & Principal, Interim Solutions for Nonprofit Leadership

“I worked with Cindy as she was conducting the search for my current position. She was wonderful–open, honest, timely, and supportive. As the candidate, she made me feel comfortable and informed at all times.”  Brian Kish, President, Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Human Resources consulting clients:

“Pillar Search has been a tremendous resource to our organization as we are updating our Human Resources policies and processes during a time of leadership transition. Cindy Joyce has been generous with her time, her experience, and her simultaneously kind and no-nonsense approach to the staff and board at Revels, Inc. Her straightforward manner has engendered trust on all fronts. Her expertise continues to guide us as we grow and mature as an organization.”  Kristine O’Brien, Board Chair, Revels

“Cindy is a highly effective and efficient HR consultant and partner.  I found her to be unusually practical and concise in her insight. Her thoughtful demeanor facilitates open and frank discussions among teams and individuals.  She has a solid educational and experiential foundation upon which she has built an effective consultation practice. I recommend her without reservation or hesitation.  Cindy is an accomplished professional that delivers results.”  Scott Smith, CHRO, Revolution

“Cindy is a member of a cohort of consultants supporting a new Workforce Development career planning and job search program for Harvard University at the Harvard Ed Portal.  As a member of this talented team she has designed and delivered several workshops, was a guest speaker at our Monday Job Seekers Connection and has conducted mock interviews with job seekers. She has also supported me in the development and branding of this program. These career management workshops are delivered to the Boston community. Participants are primarily job seekers and those looking to further develop their career path.  Cindy is able to deliver her programs with compassion and humor and has helped us to develop a strong community at the Ed Portal. Her workshops are engaging and practical. She is able to share real stories that exemplify how to be successful in a job search and in managing your career.  This is not the first time I have had the privilege of working with Cindy. Ironically she was once my client! On a personal note, I really like her. I am always available to provide Cindy with a recommendation and reference.”  Michele Rocray, former Associate Director, Harvard Ed Portal at Harvard University

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