About the position

CONNECT seeks a collaborative and systems-oriented Executive Director who can steward what has been built while guiding the organization toward expanded impact, sustainability, and regional leadership. The Executive Director of CONNECT serves as the organization’s chief strategist and steward, responsible for advancing its mission and strengthening organizational health. The Executive Director will guide strategic direction while cultivating the relationships that make CONNECT’s work possible, including municipal governments, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, academic institutions, businesses, and community leaders. As the public-facing leader of CONNECT, the Executive Director will convene diverse stakeholders, build trust across sectors and jurisdictions, and ensure that CONNECT remains a respected and effective civic network dedicated to addressing complex regional challenges. Reporting to a Board of Directors (19 members), the Executive Director will shape CONNECT’s future in close partnership with eight staff, organizational members, and regional stakeholders, maintaining a highly collaborative approach to shaping strategy and achieving outcomes. The role requires the ability to balance visionary leadership with practical management – overseeing budgets, staff development, program implementation, and organizational sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Assures CONNECT effectively achieves its mission by providing leadership and innovation. This includes day-to-day operations, strategic planning, fiscal oversight, and fundraising.
• Aligns internal operations with CONNECT’s values and external commitments.
• Manages the Staff with transparency, clarity, and respect, creating a professional and positive. workplace.
• Creates a culture of support, collaboration, engagement, and growth, including creating opportunities for team-building, individual professional growth, and organizational development.
• Engages employees in strategic discussions and empowers them to work autonomously.
• In collaboration with the Staff, Board, and community stakeholders, creates and oversees the implementation of a strategic plan and vision – to include short- and long-term objectives, practical action, and a comprehensive plan for marketing and fundraising strategies to support CONNECT’s goals.
• Translates complex civic challenges into clear priorities, frameworks, and pathways for collective action.
• Leads the development and advancement of regional initiatives authorized by CONNECT’s membership.
• Acts as a trusted convener of cross-sector and intergovernmental leaders.
• Cultivates and stewards relationships with member municipalities, partners, funders, and stakeholders.
• Oversees the design and execution of high impact convenings, including working groups, summits, legislative sessions, and networking events.
• Strengthens the connective tissue of the network: trust, alignment, shared purpose, and follow-through.
• Oversees all fundraising strategy , developing and overseeing a diversified revenue model, including grants, contracts, sponsorships, dues, and earned revenue.
• Stewards relationships with current philanthropic partners while identifying and cultivating potential opportunities for advancement and diversification in resource development.
• Ensures CONNECT’s work and impact are communicated clearly to members, partners, funders, and the public.
• Serves as the key external voice and storyteller of CONNECT, raising the region’s awareness of and engagement in CONNECT’s work and enhances the organization’s visibility, credibility, and influence.
• Develops, maintains, and supports a high-performing and passionate Board of Directors.
• Provides ongoing education to the Board of Directors on emerging issues and unmet needs.
• Generates and tracks metrics that monitor the organization’s performance with transparency and critical objectives.
• Provides leadership in developing the organizational, program, and financial plans with the Board and carries out plans and policies authorized by the Board.

Requirements

• Passion for and commitment to CONNECT’s mission and vision.
• Educational background and work experience aligned with the requirements of the position.
• Past success working collaboratively with partners, including but not limited to philanthropic leaders, like-minded organizational partners, and a Board of Directors.
• Deep understanding of network leadership, collective impact, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Strong strategic thinking paired with operational and financial discipline.
• A successful record of accomplishment with fundraising from diverse sources.
• Demonstrated success in creating and promoting a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace environment.
• A working style that is transparent, encouraging, and collaborative.
• Strong knowledge of how marketing, communications, and public relations can further fundraising efforts and a track record of using these tools to improve and optimize these efforts.
• Experience and confidence with public speaking before a wide range of professionals and community audiences.
• Ability to hold vision without ego and authority without hierarchy.
• High level of interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of building strong relationships with a diverse group of individuals at all levels.
• Can build consensus for ideas and can be effective in navigating sensitive topics internally and externally.