Executive Director

About Earth Conservation Corps

The Earth Conservation Corps is the signature national service program in the District of Columbia for The Corps Network, the legacy organization of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, which was the largest national service program in U.S. history. 

Founded in 1989 by the H.W. Bush White House, the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) is a community based and nationally recognized environmental service nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth living in Washington's stressed communities through service learning, habitat restoration, and environmental education.

Central to the ECC inspiring and leading the restoration of the Anacostia River was its adaptive reclamation of abandoned industrial riverfront buildings into community environmental action centers. The ECC has given teenagers a chance to transform their own lives by reclaiming the Anacostia River and sharing the healing power of nature in their community and the world.

The ECC is a template for youth engagement across the U.S. Today, Corps members run programs from an innovative, three-site campus modeled to best engage youth in environmental service and green job training.

• The ECC bridges the gap between the communities of Washington, D.C. and develops the interest, confidence, and pathways of under-resourced youth in STEAM subjects. Corps members focus on Environmental Education (Eagle Corps), Watershed Restoration (River Corps), and Youth Media Arts & Storytelling (Press Corps).
• The River of Hope Partnership is demonstrating the ECC’s leading model of sustainability by repurposing abandoned industrial buildings into an interconnected campus. Washington D.C.’s youth are mentored by leading scientists in the deployment of cutting-edge science tools as they restore the Anacostia River biodiversity and gain the tools to be the leaders in facing the looming challenges of climate change.
• Americorps Opportunity Youth focuses on leading and teaching volunteers through three central programs: Habitat Restoration, Media Arts, and Environmental Education.
• In 2024, the ECC’s public/private partnership will complete the buildout of the Green Jobs Academy. With the Academy, the ECC will scale their service to job training in the expanding trades of stream restoration, landscaping, solar, and urban forestry.

The River of Hope Campus is a dynamic, inter-connected active conservation of campuses in the DMV including:

• The Green Jobs & Raptor Academy - The Wings Campus:  A once abandoned dairy farm, the Wings Campus offers youth and families opportunities for outdoor education and environmental programming. The Wings Campus is the newest development of the ECC’s River of Hope Partnership.
• The Monique Johnson Anacostia Center: The ECC’s flagship community headquarters, the Capitol Pump House, is the active conservation launch pad for on-the-river restoration and the youth media arts studio.
• The Matthew Henson Center: The secondary pumphouse, filled with art, life, and raptors. This location was founded by the joint efforts of PEPCO, the National Park Service, Mayor Anthony Williams, and DHCD and is the base for all raptor programs in D.C.

 Learn more about Earth Conservation Corps at www.earthconservationcorps.org.

The Opportunity

At an exciting time of growth, ECC seeks an inspiring and mission-driven Executive Director (ED) to join their organization to define its next era of operation. Understanding the healing properties of life outdoors and motivated to create access points to connect in nature, this new leader will have the opportunity to build on over 30+ years of success while imagining new ways to create meaningful programs and events to serve the community. What makes the ECC a model that has been replicated is its collaborative use of the environment as a teaching tool to empower teenagers and volunteers to become part of the solution by restoring natural habitats, leading volunteers and publicly speaking about their environmental service.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work in partnership with ECC’s staff, partners, Americorps Members, and volunteers to ensure the organization meets all strategic goals and objectives in accordance with their mission. With a person-first approach, the Executive Director will play a pivotal role in steering the organization's course, bringing needed resources, strategic funding and partnerships, and exercising leadership of the teams delivering all programs and administrative functions — leveraging the expertise and talents of staff.

This is an ideal role for a strong relationship builder, fundraiser, and community leader. The ED will be energized and dedicated to spending time in the community, with funders, and working alongside program participants; this is an ideal opportunity for a hands-on and innovative leader.

The bulk of the ECC’s revenue comes from foundations and government entities, and there is great opportunity to grow the individual giving sector at all participation levels. Earth Conservation Corps is recognized for empowering youth to accomplish vital hands-on Anacostia River restoration while deploying cameras to bring international attention - and resources - to fight the environmental and juvenile injustices plaguing their communities. The ECC and its team are a significant force for good in Anacostia.  

Candidate Profile

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experiences that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position profile, ideal candidates will display many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Fundraising Excellence, Partnerships Development with Operations & Business Acumen

The Executive Director will have well-honed financial skills in management of a nonprofit organization with oversight of fiscal operations and previous success cultivating individual and corporate donors. Exposure to government funding, grant applications and management, and the complexity of this revenue stream is helpful, as the organization benefits from the ability to draw on multiple sources of federal and local public resources across many programs to support the ECC. Past success in working collaboratively with and reporting to a Board of Directors is key. The Executive Director should be adept at managing resources efficiently, diversifying funding streams, and ensuring financial sustainability. Strong programs operational leaders are in place and the Executive Director will have leadership responsibilities working with this talented team, with a major focus on fundraising, diversifying revenue, and engaging strategic partnerships.  In working with the team, this leader will bring creative resourcing skills together with a keen understanding of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. This involves insights on streamlining processes, implementing best practices, and coaching on ensuring that day-to-day operations align with the organization's mission and goals. 

Visionary Leader with a Strategic, Collaborative, Resourceful Mindset

The Executive Director will be a visionary leader with the capacity to create a clear vision, building upon the foundation of ECC’s success and seizing new opportunities to deepen impact while remaining responsive to ever changing needs of the community. Making sure that ECC’s programs remain accessible, they will be a big-picture and strategic thinker with the ability to develop, coach, and mentor staff to achieve strategic goals. In collaboration with ECC staff, the Executive Director will ensure alignment of Operations, Finance, Administration, Partnerships, and Human Resources to establish and implement annual goals and objectives to achieve ECC’s community focused mission.

Passion for the Mission

Living and breathing the ethos to build a culture where every Corps member counts, the Executive Director will embody a passionate commitment to creating a space where everyone feels welcomed and celebrated. This leader will channel that same commitment toward fostering a supportive and empowering environment for the community at ECC and the communities they serve. This new leader will bring a wealth of knowledge in developing programs and services that ensure environmental education and youth led projects are at the core of their work. Grounded in principles of equality of opportunity and the power of national service to heal divides, the Executive Director will be a beacon of integrity, unwavering in their commitment to advancing justice, equality of opportunity, and a spirit of inclusion within the organization and the broader community.

Collaborative Leader and Manager

The Executive Director will be an empathetic and inclusive leader who possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence with the ability to foster an atmosphere of partnership across the organization and with colleagues in partner organizations. This executive will inspire a powerful sense of shared purpose in others and motivate them to engage in the opportunities and challenges ahead, promoting staff growth and development and acknowledging the talent held within the current ECC team. This self-aware leader will engender trust in building strong team relationships through collaborative management that extends across the organization. Leading with no ego, they will be comfortable being hands-on in the weeds with the team while simultaneously strategizing at the highest level. The ED should be skilled in recruiting, developing, and retaining talented staff while fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

Excellent Communicator and Relationship Builder

Humble, warm, and approachable, the Executive Director will have the ability to develop meaningful and authentic relationships with the team, Corps members, partners, donors, the Board, volunteers, and collaborators. An excellent listener, the Executive Director will ensure that all constituents are heard, feel valued, and innovative ideas can be integrated to advance the shared vision. As a leader supporting and experienced within the community, this individual will have the emotional agility to switch between environments quickly and create a deep sense of trust with a diverse range of constituents. It is imperative that the Executive Director be an excellent and persuasive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and the ability to foster an inclusive atmosphere where all voices are acknowledged and integrated.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $110,00-130,000 with a generous benefits package.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Earth Conservation Corps is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.