Reenie Collins, HAAM's longtime CEO, to retire at year end
“Today, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) announced its CEO, Reenie Collins, will be retiring in January 2022 after nearly a decade with the music nonprofit. Her time at HAAM will be remembered as an era of growth, stability and monumental work for musicians in Central Texas.”
Since coming to HAAM in 2013, Collins has been a tireless advocate for not only the health and welfare of Austin's musicians, but for the entire music industry. During her tenure, the organization has experienced tremendous growth and has transformed into the crucial nonprofit it is today. Membership under Collin’s leadership rose 40% to nearly 3,000 and the services offered have extended into more comprehensive care.
Under Collins’ directive, HAAM grew its programs to include intensive healthcare navigation services, wellness and basic assistance programs, and increased the depth and breadth of existing medical, dental, vision and hearing services.
“Reenie Collins is synonymous with Austin music,” said Ray Benson, musician and HAAM Board Member. “She has led HAAM to such great heights, dealt with the extremely difficult world of healthcare and never stopped continuing the vision of Robin Shivers to make sure our community of creatives and musicians have the ability to be cared for. The City of Austin and its music community can’t thank her enough for helping keep our music scene thriving. We will miss her!”
Collins transformed HAAM into the brand standard when it comes to music nonprofits, and has given the organization notoriety as a voice for the music industry as a whole. Many other cities including Seattle, WA, Nashville, TN, and Chicago IL, among others, have consulted with Collins when wanting to start their own iteration of HAAM for the communities in their respective states. She believed, and continues to believe, in sharing, collaborating and working to help other nonprofits succeed.
Under Collins leadership, HAAM was recognized with over 10 community awards for organizational excellence, including Collins being named as a finalist in the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power/Women of Influence in 2018 and winning the Austin Woman’s Woman’s Way Award in 2021.
Collins also formed critical partnerships with Foundation Communities, Central Health, and other local music nonprofits to share resources. These are just a few, of the many, partnerships that highlight the powerful work HAAM has accomplished under Collins’ leadership
“One of Reenie’s strongest assets has been her ability to form partnerships and leverage community organizations to build a stronger network, offer additional services to musicians, and increase fundraising results,” said Walter Moreau, Executive Director of Foundation Communities. “Through these strategic partnerships, Reenie has been able to forge lasting relationships for the betterment of the Austin music community. She has truly been a joy to work with.”
Over the years, the healthcare landscape, among other things, has been everchanging. With every change, HAAM has adapted, each time creating stronger models and partnerships.
This had never been more exemplified than with the onset of COVID-19. A true example of Collin’s innovation and ability to pivot was the way in which HAAM stepped up, quickly providing immediate basic needs assistance for musicians, applying for grants and fundraising to ensure the viability and longevity of the organization. In a time when many nonprofits were at risk, through her leadership, HAAM was able to not only maintain services, but also expand them as musicians' needs increased.
As CEO, Collins made it a priority to have a diversified staff and board and has strong leaders in place to ensure the success of the organization for many years. She continually says she could not do the work she does without the HAAM team behind her.
“My time at HAAM has been the best gig of my entire professional career,” said Collins. “I have grown so much, and have developed genuine friendships and deep insights into the importance of live music on all aspects of our life, that I never would have gotten to know without HAAM. I feel so privileged to have played a small role in ensuring that Austin continues to support our musicians and the live music community. I honestly believe Austin’s live music industry is the heart and soul of this city and we need to do everything we can to protect one of our most valuable assets - our musicians.”
In retirement, Collins will find her greatest joy spending time with her family and focusing on some of her own creative ideas. She and her husband recently purchased a farm in Round Top, living in a farmhouse built in 1895 which has been a lifelong dream. Their small farm is home to many rescued animals including her favorite goats - Jethro, Gucci and Dolly Parton - and open to their friends and family at all times.
“While retiring from her position at HAAM was a tough decision for Reenie, her biggest priority has been to leave at a time when the organization was very stable,” said Heather Ladage, HAAM Board Chair. “We are sad, but know this is best for Reenie and her family, and are extremely grateful for all she has done to protect Austin’s musicians. Without Reenie, the landscape of the Austin music scene would be dramatically different. We look forward to seeing all she does during her retirement and wish her the very best.”
Collins will work with the board over the next six months in succession planning and transition management to ensure a seamless changeover. It is Collins’ objective to maintain HAAM’s forward trajectory in growth and development, while also continuing to provide access to comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, hearing, vision and wellness care to Austin’s hardworking and underserved musicians.
This announcement will also serve as a kick off for the organization's search for a new CEO. A committee has been formed and will work with Lehman Associates of Austin to conduct the search. For information on the role and how to apply, click here.
