Teach For America seeks an inspiring leader to uphold the bar of educational excellence for the students of Appalachia. The incoming Executive Director will be charged with motivating and galvanizing the Teach For America and broader community throughout eastern Kentucky towards a bold unified vision of One Day in the region.
As the Executive Director, you will lead in alignment with Teach For America’s core tenets, core values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI). You will ensure the long-term sustainability of the region by delivering on strong programmatic results and financial health. You will be responsible for growing the funding base to $1 million year over year with the goal to grow the budget over time. You will ensure that Teach For America-Appalachia maximizes local opportunities to meet the community's needs while also impacting national conversations about educational equity in rural regions.
Teach For America’s Executive Directors are part of the national senior leadership team at Teach For America and are at the forefront of improving the state of education in this country, impacting the future of thousands of children. You would report directly to the Senior Vice President, Regional Field Executive and will grow the local board to work within Teach For America’s evolving operating model.
- Facilitate an iterative, inclusive process to set the regional vision, anchoring in an analysis of community-based assets and opportunities, drawing on diverse perspectives including those most directly impacted by educational inequity
- Serve as the lead fundraiser with appropriate strategies to grow and raise the annual budget year over year
- Ensure the programmatic model equips our 23 current corps members and 270 alumni to achieve evidence-based impact on students during their initial two-year commitment and as lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity
- Create an environment, policies, and practices that foster diversity, equity and inclusiveness
- Be recognized as a respected voice capable of influencing and shaping the regional, state and national education agenda and position TFA as a key actor and partner in the work
- Develop an analysis of legislative, economic, social and political trends and developments and their impact on the organization and our network
- Act as a bridge between the national organization and eastern Kentucky, leading and stewarding organizational strategy, decision-making, and learning as an active, engaged executive in the organization and trusted leader in the Appalachia
- Nonprofit experience (minimum of 7 years) or relevant skills to manage a high-performing team toward ambitious outcomes in a mission-driven organization
- Experience establishing and cultivating authentic relationships with key partners across education, community and/or political landscapes while demonstrating openness, approachability, and enthusiasm for partnership
- Demonstrated political acumen and awareness of power and political dynamics towards constructively surfacing, managing, and resolving conflicts
- Previous success identifying aligning focus and resources to execute a plan while taking strategically informed risks to achieve our vision
- The ability to seek out and make sense of complex, dynamic, nuanced information about regional, state, and national education stakeholders and systems based on research and data, diverse perspectives and firsthand community experience
- Working knowledge of ways to partner with a Board of Directors, in addition to possessing a strong understanding of the roles of the Executive Director and the board
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
Personal Characteristics
- Strong personal alignment with and commitment to the mission and Foundations (core values, core tenets and diversity, equity and inclusive commitment) of Teach For America
- Ability to operate at different altitudes, including strategically leading the regional team to strong outcomes and executing where uniquely positioned to
- Extraordinary cultural leadership and credibility with a commitment to exploring issues of race, class, and privilege
- Strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of one’s strengths and areas for development
- Ability to deal with ambiguity or in situations where conflict is present
- Excellent judgment and sound decision-making skills
- Willingness and ability to learn about the Appalachia education landscape and establish oneself as a key partner in the local movement to fight educational inequity
- Ability to work some evenings and weekends
- Ability to travel within the region daily and ability to travel to in-person meetings in various U.S. cities quarterly
- Must be located in either Hazard or Lexington, Kentucky