Chris Shade brings over a decade of experience in education, nonprofit leadership, and executive search to his role at Summit Search Solutions. Most recently, Chris served as a Search Consultant with Coleman Lew Canny Bowen, where he led full-cycle executive searches across higher education, government, and nonprofit sectors.
Prior to his executive search career, Chris held senior leadership roles with The Ability Experience, a national nonprofit dedicated to disability awareness and inclusion, where he managed development efforts, client engagement strategies, and IT systems integration. Earlier in his career, he advanced alumni engagement, volunteer recruitment, and data analytics initiatives with Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, supporting enterprise-wide strategic growth and capital campaign readiness. Prior to his time in nonprofit, Chris was a seventh-grade social studies teacher in South Carolina.
Chris has a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Public Administration from University of North Carolina Charlotte. He combines deep sector knowledge, relationship-driven recruitment, and strategic vision to deliver exceptional leadership solutions for clients nationwide.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Chris has now called Charlotte, NC home for nearly twenty years. When not at work, he spends his time with his wife, two young daughters and their dogs. Chris serves on the board of directors for Leadership Charlotte and enjoys woodwork, cycling and the outdoors.