St. Louis-based LaunchCode said Tuesday it has named a new CEO, weeks after its previous leader abruptly left the technology training nonprofit just two months into the role.
LaunchCode has hired Julian Nicks, who has been a member of its board of directors, as CEO. He replaces Tasmyn Scarl, who LaunchCode said earlier this month “departed” the nonprofit after being hired in March. Nicks will begin as CEO June 20.
Nicks was a member of LaunchCode’s board for more than three years and most recently has worked for management consulting firm Bain & Co. as a senior manager based in the global firm’s Chicago office. He has also previously worked in roles in the public sector, including as director of transformation for the state of Missouri’s Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. He also was a policy associate for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“At LaunchCode, our mission is to build a skilled workforce, opening our doors to more people to tackle the tech talent gap facing employers. Julian has a track record of making businesses more efficient and re-investing those resources to drive scale. We are excited about how he will move us forward,” LaunchCode founder Jim McKelvey said in a statement.
Founded in 2013, LaunchCode provides free technology training to aspiring computer programmers and places them in apprenticeships and jobs. It also has operations in Kansas City and Philadelphia.
Nicks is originally from St. Louis and will relocate to the region from Chicago to serve as LaunchCode’s CEO, the nonprofit said in a news release. Nicks has a bachelor’s degree from Washington University and an MBA from Stanford University. LaunchCode said Nicks has vacated his seat on the nonprofit's board as part of his appointment as CEO.
“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead such a great organization,” Nicks said in a statement. “Since its founding, LaunchCode has had an incredible impact on our learners, our employer partners, and the broader local economy in the regions in which we operate. I look forward to leading the passionate, dedicated team at LaunchCode to continue to create lasting impact in the communities we serve.”
Nicks will be the third executive to lead LaunchCode in the past year. Scarl, previously executive director of the Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis, was named in March to lead LaunchCode after a national search by Chicago-based Morten Group. She had succeeded LaunchCode's former leader, Executive Director Jeff Mazur, who left the organization in September and became the director of government and industry partnerships for the Taylor Geospatial Institute in January this year. Scarl's appointment came with the title change to CEO. LaunchCode has not said why Scarl left, with an announcement about her departure coming earlier this month.
Mazur received total compensation of $153,984 in 2020, according to the organization's most recent IRS filing.
LaunchCode reported total revenue of $16.9 million and total expenses of $13.5 million in 2021, according to its website. The organization completed a $5 million expansion and renovation of its headquarters, at 4811 Delmar Blvd., last fall.
