President & CEO

McClendon Center’s President & CEO is the agency’s public face for the community, and is ultimately accountable to the Board of Directors, the agency’s staff, and the Center’s clients.

Direct Reports:

• Medical Director
• Clinical Director
• Compliance Officer
• Quality Improvement Director
• Director of Nursing and Health Services
• Controller
• Human Resources Director
• Development Director

Other Key Relationships:

• D.C. Department of Behavioral Health
• D.C. City Council and other D.C. community leaders
• Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)
• Other D.C. Behavioral Health Agencies
• D.C. Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
• D.C. Behavioral Health Association (DCBHA)
• D.C. Primary Care Association
• D.C. Hospital Association
• Sponsors/Donors – individuals and corporations
• Employees
• Clients
• Media

Accountabilities, Duties, and Responsibilities

Work Location.  It is important for the President & CEO to be an active and visible presence in the Washington, D.C. area in which the Center operates.  Accordingly, the President & CEO is expected to work primarily from the Center’s offices in Washington, D.C. during the Center’s business hours, and be available on weekends as necessary to perform the responsibilities of the position, as set forth below.

Leadership and External Relations.  Leadership is important internally, as well as for the Center’s reputation as it relates to the community. The President & CEO must be seen as a credible leader by the staff and be accessible to both staff and clients.  The President & CEO sets a high standard of care, thus acting as a role model for staff, and as a service leader among peer agencies.  Effective leadership will result in McClendon Center continuing to be seen as an innovator and leader.

• Personify the agency’s mission, vision, and values at all times.
• Engender confidence among clients, staff, board, and external stakeholders via visible leadership, active listening, and communication style.
• Maintain and grow the agency’s reputation as a leading nonprofit and service provider in the DC community.
• Proactively seek external relationships on behalf of the agency which align with the board’s strategic direction, diversifies revenue sources, takes advantage of market dynamics, and expands the agency’s ability to meet the needs of its current and future clients.
• Recognize the social factors and systemic racism faced by clients in the daily choices, external relationships, and strategic decision-making done on behalf of the agency.
• Endorse the agency’s credibility by maintaining all required certifications and licensures, including maintaining accreditation with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
• Panel with all MCOs and all insurance companies permitted to operate within the District of Columbia.

Strategic Thinking and Change Leadership.  Strategic discussions and implementation of strategic priorities have been the cornerstone of the agency’s success in the past decade.  A success defined by high client satisfaction; consistent external recognition of the agency as a clinical leader in the field; strategic relationships with payers; and an employer of choice.  Looking ahead, changes in the D.C. market will require expanded strategic thinking and change leadership to position McClendon Center to continue to serve the needs of clients.

• Partner with the Board in its regular strategic planning process (both short- and long-term) and in the development of strategic objectives/priorities and lead the agency’s change efforts aligned with these priorities.
• Provide vision and strategic insight to the Board for how the organization can adapt to meet the evolving needs of clients and successfully operate in a highly dynamic environment to continue executing its mission.
• Identify new opportunities to leverage resources in an effort to maximize impact.
• Attend meetings/conferences and review literature to maintain current knowledge of the thinking, issues, and people influencing issues important to the organization’s mission.
• Assess organizational accomplishments and failures, and report on those to the Board to inform future thinking and actions.

Workforce.  In order to provide quality services for clients, the agency must recruit and retain a quality workforce that reflects the racial, cultural, and ethnic make-up of the D.C. community. Staff members are responsible for embodying the vision of the agency and being a compassionate vehicle for high quality service delivery.  No one job is more important than any other, though higher paid staff members tend to have a higher degree of accountability.  The most accountable member of the staff is the President & CEO.

• Ensure that all staff members have the appropriate (criminal, education, etc.) background and training to do their jobs.
• Pay each staff member reasonable and competitive compensation for their position, both in order to establish market and internal equity, as well as encourage staff retention.
• Develop competencies for each position, and retain/reward staff in those positions based on their being observably competent when providing services.
• Motivate, empower, and energize staff through written and verbal communication, relationship-building, and inclusive decision-making.
• Create a “tight” end-to-end pay scale so that there is no more than five times the difference between the lowest paid staff member and the highest paid staff member (except when the agency employs a full-time Medical Director).
• Supervise an Executive Team that is composed of at least the following: Medical Director, Clinical Director, Compliance Officer, Quality Improvement Director, Controller, Human Resource Director, and Development Director.
• Ensure the Compliance Officer reports compliance issues, misconduct, and/or offenses, as appropriate, directly to the Board of Directors.

Program/Service Activities.  McClendon Center’s programs and services are designed to meet the needs of clients, maintain accreditation, and align with payer/regulator requirements.  The agency has taken on service expansions based on new partnership opportunities and evolving needs of our clients.  In similar form, continued success of the agency is reliant on progressive sophistication and willingness to evolve services.

• Ensure that current programs/services are consistent with the agency’s mission.
• Opportunistically identify new services and programs for consideration by the Board of Directors.
• Work with the staff to provide oversight and guidance in the identification of new programs/services to address evolving client needs.
• Ensure that programs/services meet the expectations and requirements of external stakeholders (e.g., MCOs and DBH).

Board Responsibilities.  McClendon Center’s Board of Directors represents the community’s interests in behavioral health concerns. Board members are unpaid volunteers and have a range of expertise that is vital to supporting the agency’s mission.  The Board is responsible for the organization’s general policies and programs, the control of its affairs and property, the advancement of its charitable purposes, the establishment of its strategic direction, and its financial well-being.  In executing its fiduciary duties, the Board relies on timely and accurate information to make informed decisions regarding the agency’s operations and direction.

• Report regularly to the Board on the activities of the organization and progress toward meeting strategic objectives/priorities.
• Maintain a strong working relationship with all Board members, especially members of the Executive Committee.
• Participate in regular meetings with the Board Chair; provide updates, report on successes and challenges, plan strategies for Board participation; and work with the Chair to structure and guide Board meetings.
• Identify issues and policies that require the action of the Board.
• Prepare for and attend all Board meetings (ascertain location, disseminate information for meetings, supply written and verbal information, etc.).
• Participate on all standing Board committees, along with designated staff liaisons.
• Ensure that Board members are kept informed of matters and developments that warrant their attention by providing relevant information outside of scheduled committee and Board meetings in a timely manner.
• Assist in Board recruitment as requested.

Financial/Fiscal Oversight.  To ensure the organization’s long-term fiscal sustainability, revenue must exceed expenses.  Financial reserves are encouraged, and may be invested, used during times of financial stress, or as seed money for innovative programs.  Revenue and expense reporting must be timely and transparent.  Annual audits of the organization’s financial statements must be conducted.

• Create an annual operating budget with the agency’s Controller, for Board review and approval.
• Report regularly to the Board concerning the organization’s financial and investment results.
• Provide oversight of the agency’s investments, budgets, and financial reporting.
• Ensure that the agency properly records all revenues, and that revenue generation is done in an honest manner.
• Ensure that all expenses are appropriately incurred, properly recorded, and are synchronous with budgeted line items.
• Monitor financial transactions; track the agency’s cash and investment balances at least weekly.
• Raise questions to the Controller and other staff members as needed in order clarify any inconsistencies or financial outliers.
• Report any financial concerns to the Board’s Finance and Executive Committees.
• Ensure that all audits, especially the annual financial audit, are clean, or that any identified weaknesses/issues are addressed/remedied.
• Continually seek to diversify revenue sources to avoid over reliance on any single source.

Fundraising/Development.  Sound business practices, the development of new revenue streams, and raising money (through grants, sponsorships, and individual donors) are key to keeping the agency operating as a relevant service provider.

• Lead organization fundraising activities, in concert with the Development Director.
• Identify and develop new sources of revenue.
• Work to maintain all current foundation grants by ensuring such foundations continue to fund the agency, preferably by increasing amounts each year.
• Investigate new grant opportunities, to the extent that services provided through the grants will be helpful to the agency’s clientele.
• Build and leverage relationships with individuals and businesses who/which can generate new revenue streams.
• Advocate for increased rates with the Department of Behavioral Health, and investigate new DBH services for inclusion in the agency’s service mix.
• Promote all agency fundraising activities and events, especially the annual Art of Transformation.
• Meet with current and prospective donors, and work to increase the number of $50,000+ gifts secured year over year.
• Steward donor dollars in an effective, responsible manner to cultivate trust.

Other Duties.  Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Board.

Background/Qualifications

An ideal candidate would have the following background:

• Minimum of a BA, ideally with an MBA, MPA, or related advanced degree.
• 15+ years of experience in senior management roles at a behavioral health service provider of comparable size.
• Significant board development, fundraising, marketing/branding and fiscal management experience a must
• A financially savvy and politically astute leader with the ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and guide investment in people and systems; keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills, which support and enable sound decision making
• Excellent coalition building skills with an ability to communicate and work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders; a persuasive negotiator able to achieve consensus amongst differing opinions
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills and the experience and proclivity to be an outgoing spokesperson, relationship builder, and fundraiser
• Strong commitment to the professional development of staff; successful track record of recruiting and retaining a diverse team.

Other Personal Characteristics

• Deep passion for and ability to articulate the importance of McClendon Center’s mission
• Strong planning, interpersonal, public communication, and networking skills
• Good listener
• Empathetic

McClendon Center is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, marital status, religion, or disability.

Cover Letter and Resume must be submitted to [email protected]