Since 1980, the WCA has provided safety, healing, and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault by offering secure shelters, a 24-hour hotline, professional counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services, and case management to survivors. Bea has led with a deep passion for our mission for the past 17 years and will remain at the helm until summer 2026.
Bea Black, who has led the Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) for the past 17 years, has announced to the WCA Board of Directors that she plans to retire in summer 2026. With a mission of “safety, healing and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault,” the WCA operates Ada County’s only secure shelter, staffs a 24-hour hotline, and offers professional counseling, case management, court advocacy, and other support services to survivors.
Bea is leaving a legacy of leadership on domestic violence issues and will remain committed to helping the community in other ways. She is excited to join her husband in retirement and to spend more time with her growing number of grandchildren.
As Bea puts it, “I’ve been honored and humbled to do this important work for almost two decades. I am so proud of the impact the team at the WCA has had on the lives of so many. Letting survivors know they are not alone has inspired me every day. This community has come together to build a network of support, resources and understanding to help survivors regain their freedom and heal.”
The WCA Board of Directors is grateful that Bea will continue as CEO through the organization’s next fiscal year to ensure a seamless transition to its next leader. Bea will remain focused on fostering strong community ties and growing the WCA’s support in order to ensure the sustainability of services that are critical for so many.
The board will coordinate the search for the next CEO beginning in mid-September and will be looking for an inspiring leader who has a deep passion for the WCA’s mission and an understanding of the importance of community connections. The board expects the search to yield a strong pool of candidates, and that the hiring process will take six to nine months.
Under Bea’s guidance, the WCA has grown its impact in several ways, expanding the services provided to those dealing with domestic violence in the Treasure Valley. Some of her proudest accomplishments include working with the WCA board to build a transitional shelter – Laura’s Home – in 2017, growing the WCA’s endowment fund to more than $3.4 million, and providing services for expanded needs during the COVID-19 crisis. The WCA’s crisis hotline, the only one of its kind in Ada County, has seen increased demand. In 2012, it fielded 2,131 calls compared to more than 4,400 calls annually today.
Debra Leithauser, president of the WCA Board, said, “Bea is an excellent leader and community connector. Through her leadership, countless domestic violence survivors start new lives filled with dignity and hope. It’s impossible to quantify her impact. I wish her the very best in her much-deserved retirement and know the Treasure Valley community will support her in her transition, and continue its critical support of the WCA mission.”
About the WCA
Since 1980, the WCA has provided safety, healing, and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault. The WCA operates secure shelters and offers professional counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services, and case management to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. For more information, visit www.wcaboise.org
