Executive Director

About Fort Worth Community Land Trust

The Fort Worth Community Land Trust (FWCLT) will create, steward and preserve a permanent supply of quality affordable homes in multiple neighborhoods across the city to ensure that Fort Worth neighborhoods are diverse and inclusive. The organization’s primary objective will be to provide homeownership opportunities for low-income households earning 60-80% of the area median income and, secondarily, to serve a higher income level to ensure neighborhood diversity, steward non-residential community assets, and/or provide affordable rental housing opportunities. FWCLT expects to pursue multiple strategies to grow its portfolio including:

• New construction.
• Renovation of existing homes.
• Buyer-initiated home purchases selecting from homes on the open market.

While pursuing these strategies FWCLT is guided by the following principles:

• Enhance access to homeownership for low to moderate-income families by providing them with well-crafted homes in a mixed-income community near good schools and jobs.
• Learn from leading, effective practices across the vast network of existing community land trusts and serve as a showcase for this innovative model in Fort Worth.
• Align with existing community efforts and assets to maximize impact.
• Transform one-time investments into a legacy of sustained affordability.
• Demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships.

FWCLT is registered as a charitable organization in accordance with IRC § 501(c)(3). The composition of FWCLT’s governing Board will mirror the ‘classic’ Community Land Trust (CLT) three-part governance structure, with one-third of the seats to be filled, eventually, by CLT homeowners and leaseholders; one-third of the seats to be reserved for community organizations and neighborhood leaders; and one-third of the seats to be reserved for individuals with expertise and experience that can enhance the organization’s prospects for success. FWCLT is an independent entity but maintains a dedicated Board seat for a city representative and actively pursues other opportunities to meaningfully collaborate and incorporate input from key community stakeholders. The organization hopes to serve as a powerful platform for partnerships with goals to leverage the expertise and experience of existing community organizations and to support complementary strategies/programs that improve families’ stability and economic security.

The Opportunity

The Fort Worth Community Land Trust (FWCLT) is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization in its mission to acquire and steward land for the benefit of developing and preserving long-term affordable housing in Fort Worth. The Executive Director must be a culturally competent, versatile leader committed to increasing access to homeownership through a community-driven approach that is largely unfamiliar to local stakeholders. The role will continue to develop organizational strategic direction in conjunction with the Board of Directors, maintain collaborative relationships across the affordable housing sector in Tarrant County, and maintain the operational and financial integrity of the organization.

The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for the overall direction, execution, and effectiveness of the entire organization. The Executive Director must be able to manage multiple programmatic aspects of the organization while also working with the Board to provide visionary leadership and direction for the entire entity. The ability to effectively and proactively communicate to a diverse group of stakeholders from elected officials to potential homeowners will be an essential skill.

The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director include:

Organizational Leadership

• Continue to develop and execute a vision and strategic plan to guide the organization.
• Foster an effective and collaborative relationship with Board members and committees.
• Act as a spokesperson for the organization and represent the organization in the community to promote its mission and enhance its community profile.
• Create a clear performance evaluation process in collaboration with Board members including goals, metrics, and outcomes reporting.  

Operational Management 

• Develop an annual operational plan which incorporates strategic goals and objectives including key milestones and critical path items essential for programmatic success of the organization related to:
  • Property Acquisition.
  • Real Estate Development (through partnerships with Developers).
  • Property Management.
  • Community Outreach.
  • Stewarding Relationships with Prospective and Current Homeowners.
  • Program Delivery to Support Prospective and Current Homeowners (direct and via partnerships). 
• Execute and track achievement against operational plans; report on results to Board and staff.

Staff & Team Development

• Maintain a positive, healthy and safe work environment that attracts, keeps, and motivates four to five team members.
• Oversee continued work of building a collaborative, transparent organizational culture.
• Oversee human resources policies, procedures, and practices for all personnel including the onboarding of key personnel – particularly during startup phase.    

Financial Management & Fundraising 

• Oversee all operational and financial reporting activities of the organization.
• Work with staff, contracted accounting partners, and the Board to prepare a comprehensive budget, administer the funds according to the approved budget, monitor the monthly cash flow, and provide regular reports to the Board on the revenues and expenditures of the organization.
• Work with the Board to create short- and long-term revenue models aligned with programmatic goals to ensure the financial sustainability and solvency of the organization.
• Refine and implement the resource development plan in accordance with revenue models and the projected budget.  
• Guide and lead any fundraising activities including overseeing the submission of grant proposals and grant reporting.
• Ensure compliance with all contract, grant, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance and submission of annual audit, tax, and insurance filings/policies.   

Candidate Profile

 FWCLT recognizes that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display many if not all the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Professional Qualifications

Minimum

• 5+ years of progressive experience at the executive or management level of an organization.
• Experience in planning, housing, and community development.
• Experience in real estate development and finance.
• Experience in marketing, public relations, and community education.
• Experience fundraising, writing, and managing grants.
• Bachelor's degree, graduate degree, and/or related work experience.

Preferred

• Experience in Community Land Trust administration or other shared-equity environment.
• Experience in commercial or mixed-use development.
• Knowledge of quality energy-efficient house construction.
• Experience in development of public/private partnerships. 

Competencies and Personal Characteristics

• Knowledge and demonstrated success in strategic planning, change management, project management, and people management.
• Commitment to creating a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• The ability to lead and manage a team driving outcomes in accordance with Board-directed goals.
• Must possess excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills with external stakeholder management experience.
• Flexibility to respond to and manage a range of stakeholders with a variety of communication styles.
• Ability to collect and analyze data to problem-solve and set strategy.
• Strong organizational skills; utilizes logical, systematic and orderly procedures to meet objectives.
• Agility in adapting to change, thrives in a dynamic and ever-changing environment; creativity and innovative thinking skills to respond to emerging needs.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and is comfortable working on a small team where individuals must have competencies across functional areas.
• Demonstrates ability to consistently make sound decisions.
• Committed to ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the organization, as well as equitable and inclusive programmatic strategies.
• Passion for community development and helping others.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $140,000. FWCLT offers an excellent benefits package that includes health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), paid vacation, and sick leave.

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Managing Associate, Amber Gomes. Express interest in this role by submitting a cover letter and resume through our Talent Profile or emailing Amber directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group 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.

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.