Company Overview
Mission Statement: Our Mission is to empower children and adults with disabilities and their families to achieve their greatest potential.
We are a Cleveland, Ohio based non-profit organization providing support, services and programs that help children with a wide range of physical, emotional, neurological, or developmental disabilities achieve their full potential in life. Comprehensive services to children with disabilities and their families are provided through education and autism services, therapy and our Intensive Therapy Clinic, family support, recreation and adapted sports. Charitable donations help to provide many of these critical services for families, regardless of their ability to pay.
Vision Statement: A future where individuals with varying abilities have opportunities across the lifespan to live life to the fullest. Everyone will reach their highest potential at home, school and in the community as a result of the family-focused and integrated services our staff so competently and passionately provides.
Organization History: In 1940, three Cleveland Rotarians, George Gund, Tris Speaker and Frederick McGuire opened the doors of the Achievement Centers for Children, then known as the Society for Crippled Children. They had a vision and hope that every child would have an opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Many of the specific disabilities have changed through the years, but the dedication of the Achievement Centers to children with disabilities and their families has remained constant. The words of the Achievement Centers’ mission have changed, but the spirit has remained the same: “to empower children and adults with disabilities and their families to achieve their greatest potential.”
Position Summary
The Chief Executive Officer for Achievement Centers for Children is a highly visible and significant leadership role in Northeast Ohio and in the communities surrounding Cleveland. Under the direction of the CEO, this $9.5M organization of 165 employees across three locations provides a comprehensive range of programs and services. The Agency’s future vision and direction is to build upon its solid reputation and increase its visibility as a strong and impactful community partner. This is a unique opportunity for a high energy, innovative, compassionate, agile and servant leader to drive the Agency forward and increase its value to those it serves.
This mission-driven role will provide inspiring, collaborative and tenacious leadership to propel the strategic plan, to build strong internal and external relationships and to develop the donor base in order to foster strong innovation and creativity resulting in new revenue streams to advance the goals of the Agency. This individual will also serve as community spokesperson for the Agency and its Board of Directors regarding established policy, new program development and serve as the liaison with local, state, and federal agencies.
Responsibilities
- Nurtures existing and builds new community relationships, partnerships and strategic alliances focused on expanding the Agency’s presence and impact in the community.
- Builds upon the strong fund development model; identifies innovative strategies to increase financial support in an ever-changing regulatory environment
- Attends and participates in all Board and Committee meetings of the Board of Directors.
- Drives, implements and monitors the Agency’s strategic plan to ensure accomplishment of established goals that may include expanding the endowment fund, providing funding for new service programs, or completion of Fundraising Campaign.
- Leads and inspires a talented team of upper management professionals and manages all other staff directly or through management and supervisory team. Develops and maintains acceptable standards of professional practice in the Agency and administers sound human resource management practices.
- Ensures achievement of production results and compliance with Agency policy, standards and performance expectations.
- Analyzes program performance and community needs and assigns responsibilities to Agency staff to meet determined needs. Analyzes findings and makes final recommendations to the Board of Directors on new initiatives or major changes.
- Interacts with professional and community groups locally and regionally to promote the Agency’s presence and establish strong ties to the communities it serves in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
- Serves as Agency spokesperson and speaks to various groups, provides information and statements to news media representatives and completes written communications on a variety of subjects relating to the Agency.
- Represents the Board of Directors in meeting with funding sources including State, Federal, County and City representatives.
- Oversees preparation of budget and supporting documentation for Board of Directors.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Social Service or related field is highly preferred. Bachelor’s degree is required.
- Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in a senior leadership capacity with a proven track record of success running a business or non-profit organization, developing and executing strategy and management decision making
- Current/prior non-profit experience/exposure (e.g. non-profit board member/leader)
- Considerable experience with non-profit fundraising efforts
- Strong work ethic and leadership skills with high level of integrity
- Demonstrated passion and commitment to human services
- Strong relationship builder with the ability to communicate the mission to the community
- Knowledge and Experience
- Advanced management principles and practices
- Leadership and visionary planning
- Budget development and fiscal management
- Operational management
- Non-profit social service fields
- Regulated industries
- Key Attributes
- Passion for the organization’s mission
- Deep sector knowledge and success
- Well-rounded personal attributes including intellect, creativity and agility
- Strong Financial Acumen
- Ability to develop and maintain strong internal and external relationships
- Leadership skills; acceptance, diversity and motivating others
- Strategic Thinker and Visionary
- Effective Communicator
- Perseverant/Patient/Tenacious
- Key Skills
- Verbal and written communications to interact with participants; participant family members and guardians; social service professionals; community leaders and representatives; elected officials; State social service Agency representatives and Boards; Board of Directors; donors and potential donors; media representatives; general public; and other job contacts
- Non-profit fund development efforts, seeking new funding sources, and coordinating the development of Agency grant requests
- Directing and coordinating programs from an executive level
- Public speaking and maintaining good public relations
- Collaborating and networking with other agencies
Compensation and Benefits:
The successful candidate will be offered an attractive compensation package including salary, bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.
If you are an exceptional leader with the qualifications, attributes, drive and determination required to be extraordinary, we are very interested in speaking with you. Please submit your interest in confidence to:
Charles Barbarotta
SVP, Executive Search Practice Leader
Ratliff & Taylor, Inc.
lgray@rtcpi.com
440-241-2667 cell
Charles Barbarotta
Senior Consultant, Executive Search Ratliff & Taylor, Inc.
cbarbarotta@rtcpi.com
216-314-5209 cell