Christie Eckler, a service-driven community leader who has been a part of several key institutions in the DFW area, has stepped into a new executive role in January 2021 at the National MS Society, the organization said in a news release.
As executive director, she will lead efforts in North Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
“I am looking forward to being a part of an innovative and national organization, where researchers, medical professionals, navigators, ambassadors, and more are all striving to have a more meaningful impact on those living with multiple sclerosis (MS), like myself,” Eckler said in the announcement.
“I was diagnosed with MS in 2011, and it was with the help of a local chapter of the MS Society that I was able to come to terms with my new reality and accept my new trajectory while also building my professional career in nonprofits,” she said.
“Christie brings outstanding experience to this position, driven by strong personal commitments to helping solve the needs of those affected by MS,” Linda Bates, president of South Central, said.
Eckler is a seasoned nonprofit professional bringing 14 years of experience in social work, fundraising, relationship cultivation and stewardship, community and board engagement, and staff development, the news release said.
Most recently, she served as vice president for advancement at Botanical Research Institute of Texas, where she led the advancement department overseeing fundraising, corporate relations, membership and marketing.
Eckler also teaches at her alma mater as an adjunct faculty member at the UT Arlington School of Social Work, teaching graduate-level instruction focused on nonprofit management and administration.
She is also a member of the board of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.