Our Firm
The power of diversity.
A culture of caring.
Putting the right people in leadership positions has been our goal since Peña Search was founded in 2009. For over a decade, we have worked across the country—from Tampa to San Francisco—to find candidates that have a passion for their work, along with a keen and direct understanding of the power of diversity.
Diversity is a key element to organizational success. It ensures that you effectively reflect the markets you serve, and diverse voices yield better outcomes, improving performance, productivity, and growth. We put this truth into action internally, and we endeavor to share the value of diversity with our clients. Diversity boosts employee health and well-being, while allowing employers to deliver higher quality service, and our team serves as a prime example of its many benefits.
We’d love to help your organization take its next steps—one person at time.
Holly Sherman Peña
Founder & CEO
Holly Peña deeply cares about the people who have dedicated their lives to non-profits. Her passion is part of the heart of Peña Search, which she founded in 2009 with a unique vision to serve both the mission of an organization and the careers of its employees.
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Carlos González Peña
Founder & President
Carlos González Peña’s fascination with non-profits began while earning a master’s degree at The University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. It was there that he was exposed to how influential these types of organizations are in improving quality of life across the United States.
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Travis Hillier
Search Director
Travis Hillier joined Peña Search in 2015, where he conducts and supports searches at many different levels. He is committed to finding and placing the right leaders that will have a demonstrable impact in their communities and organizations. Travis is motivated by the missions of his clients and is dedicated to finding the ideal candidate for the nonprofits with which he works.
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Cindy Maloney
Search Director
When Cindy Maloney joined Peña Search in 2018, she brought diverse knowledge of both the for- and non-profit sectors. Her expertise was honed not only through positions in financial services and revenue management at large companies such as American Airlines and Sabre Corporation, but also in her extensive volunteer experience on The Lamplighter School’s parent’s association board and with organizations such as Reading Partners.
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Maria Dickson Parigi
Search Director
The newest member of the Peña Search team, Maria Dickson Parigi began her recruiting career in 1997 with a boutique legal search firm, and she now combines that experience with her passion for service in the nonprofit sector.
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Amanda Rachelle
Director of Operations
Amanda Rachelle is a dynamic and experienced professional with a passion for operations management. As the Director of Operations for Pena Search, she is responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of services to clients and candidates. With over 15 years of experience in operations, Amanda has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with managing a successful firm.
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Elizabeth Howard
Director of Finance
Elizabeth Howard joins Peña Search as Financial Director after serving for 19 years as CFO of a successful architecture firm that sold in 2022. Doing so, Elizabeth merges her experience managing the human resources and financial health of a professional services firm with her personal commitment to serving the community, as she supports the firm’s continued growth and presence in its nonprofit search pursuits.
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Brianna Johnson
Administrative Assistant
Brianna Johnson is beginning her second year at Dallas College where she is interested in business.
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Marissa Ramirez Anchia
Client Relations Director
Marissa Anchia earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University and a Master of Liberal Studies and Graduate Marketing Certification from Southern Methodist University. Her professional experience is a culmination of years in the corporate world with Mary Kay, Inc. and Texas Instruments, business trade association work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more recently as a public affairs consultant and community volunteer.
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Lynn Ray Sherman
Consultant, Board Advisory
Lynn Sherman has had a successful career as an attorney, consultant, and executive for more than 25 years, but throughout, his passion has been leading the development and transformation of non-profit institutions and stewarding important community initiatives. In his different leadership positions, Lynn has initiated groundbreaking non-profit mergers and collaborations, shepherded non-profit entities through times of expansion and austerity, and hired non-profit executives.