The Skagit Valley Family YMCA Board of Directors is actively seeking a visionary leader who will build upon strong executive leadership and continue a culture of excellence within the YMCA as an active resident of the community. The YMCA seeks to be at the center of community life as a leading provider of youth programs, and health and wellness services. The CEO will be uniquely positioned to champion the YMCA mission and embark on the next chapter of the organization by overseeing a major capital project that will result in a new state of the art 60,000 square-foot, $26M YMCA facility opening in the spring of 2019.
Qualified candidates must have a solid business acumen, sound judgment, and exceptional leadership skills. They must have a proven track record that demonstrates an ability to successfully implement and promote the YMCA’s services and activities to the community; assess community needs and develop programs in partnership with others to meet those needs; raise funds through annual and capital campaigns; develop and manage a staff; and work with a YMCA board that focuses on strategic issues. Opportunities exist for membership growth, program expansion, and financial development with the relocation to the new facility.
Within the first 18 months the CEO must lead the transition of the YMCA from its current location to the new facility. This will require the development and implementation of marketing plans, pre-opening sales strategies and member engagement strategies. In partnership with the board, the CEO will develop a strategic vision and focus for the association and leverage the opening of the new facility to increase the number of members from 2,000 to 10,000, as well as enhance and expand our program offerings. For the CEO to be effective, they will need to engage, empower and motivate leadership staff to lead their departments in alignment with the strategic vision.
Key Deliverables
- Develop and Implement a Strategic Plan: Have the ability to work effectively with volunteers, key staff, and the YMCA of the USA Resource Director, to create and develop a strategic roadmap that addresses opportunities and challenges related to the community’s support of facilities and programs, with defined organizational strategies. Lead staff in the development and implementation of goals through an annual operating plan. Lead volunteers in creating and aligning committees and their charts of work to support the strategies and goals of the association. Beginning in 2018 the CEO will launch the process to develop a new strategic plan that will guide the organization into the next chapter of its history by leveraging the opening of the new facility.
- Fiscal Management: Use a high level of financial analysis to forecast financial trends, growth and stability while consistently leading the organization to balance or surplus operations by growing earned revenue and contributions, and controlling costs. Empower and guide staff leaders on the successful financial operation of their areas of responsibility. Monitor the budget closely to address competition that may impact membership, facility needs, and anticipate impact on revenue and expenses related to the transition to the new facility.
- Improve Operating Performance: Work with the board to develop an annual tactical plan for achieving key YMCA goals and objectives that will support the new YMCA facility, as well as existing facilities. Remain fully informed of all operational issues, and have the keen ability to quickly address any issues that might arise as well as forecast future needs.
- Establish and Maintain a Culture: Strengthen a culture of inclusion, integrity, character and life-long learning within the YMCA organization that reinforces, encourages, and promotes values of honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring.
- Cause-Driven Leadership: Inspire and mobilize staff, volunteers, members, community members and community partners to strengthen communities. Passionate about giving their community a place to play, to learn, to connect with one another, to be healthy, to eat well and give back. Create a welcoming, genuine, hopeful, nurturing environment, and dedicated to making their community stronger.
Additional Key Priorities
- Develop and Manage the Staff Team: The YMCA seeks a “servant leader” who can inspire a positive attitude and build a cohesive team. The new CEO will create a plan to build unity, encourage teamwork, set operational goals tied to a strategic plan, hold staff accountable, and foster individual staff development. Lead by example; remain actively engaged in staff development and performance leading to superior results in programs, member satisfaction and community engagement. Evaluate current organizational structure to assemble and empower a team in preparation for the opening of the new facility. This will result in the enhancement and growth of membership services and programs.
- Advocate the YMCA Vision Within the Community: Serve as ambassador for the mission, goals and values of the YMCA. Lead efforts with increasing membership and delivering high quality programs to the community. Actively interact and communicate with the communities in the region as a representative of the YMCA. Represent the YMCA’s mission to community leaders, donors, staff and volunteers. Assure existing strong partnerships are fostered, and new partnerships are created. Be seen and respected as a leader within the community, while proactively creating collaborations to enhance outreach and program initiatives.
- Advance a Culture of Philanthropy: Lead fundraising efforts by working with the Board, staff, and community to establish a plan for the organization to raise significant contributions, including endowment, for service growth, affordable programs and capital development projects. Must be able to position the Y as a charity of choice by communicating and engaging with our community, and by instilling confidence, credibility, and trust in the Y with community leaders, partners, and donors. Fundraising plans will meet current and future needs of the association while building a culture of philanthropy among the board and staff. Experience with capital campaigns and projects is expected as the CEO will ensure that outstanding gifts and pledges supporting the capital project are secured.
- Continue to Develop an Effective and Diverse Volunteer Board: Work with an already active and engaged board to continue implementing "best-practices" process to recruit, train, develop, and renew the volunteers on the board. Guide the organization to research each key initiative, build agreement, enlist support from each critical constituency and establish a timeline for completing each aspect of the planning process. Work with the board to establish an ongoing implementation plan for each major strategic initiative, and a process to monitor results and capital planning to address the new facility.
Minimum Criteria for Candidates:
- Must demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills and personal values consistent with the YMCA mission.
- Must have the ability to develop and strengthen community relationships.
- Have the ability to develop new programs, review and enhance programs being offered or considered, for both economy and the effectiveness in broadening our engagement in the communities in which we serve.
Preferred Criteria for Candidates:
- YMCA Organizational Leader Certification. If the candidate does not possess this, they must obtain it within 3 years from the date of hire.
- Minimum five years prior experience in a senior management role with a YMCA or related experience at a comparable organization with direct supervision of multiple levels of staff and employees.
- Fiscally sound business management approach.
- Strategic planning and fundraising experience including annual and capital campaigns.
- Project management experience with capital projects, including new facility construction and implementation of promotional plans.
- A proven track record of budgetary and fiscal management of more than $4,000,000 annually.
- Salary Range: $120,000-$145,000 annualized, commensurate with experience.
- Benefits: Retirement contribution (8% paid by the YMCA), vacation plan, health plan, relocation reimbursement, and other benefits per personnel policy included.