SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:
The California Association of Local Conservation Corps is seeking an Executive Director to oversee implementation of the Association’s 2022-2024 Strategic Plan and serve as a key collaborator to its members. The Executive Director will report to the 14 Directors of the California Association of Local Conservation Corps through the Association’s Executive Committee and serve as the primary liaison to external stakeholders and consultants. The Executive Director is responsible for internal operations and the implementation and achievement of CALCC’s mission and vision. The Executive Director will serve as staff support to CALCC, which is a 501(c)(6) membership-based nonprofit association, and lead implementation of the Association’s 2022-24 Strategic Plan.
WHO WE ARE:
The California Association of Local Conservation Corps (CALCC) is the network of California’s 14 state-certified community conservation corps, also known as “local corps”. The local corps work with a diverse population of young adults, primarily young people of color, ages 18-26. We are driven conservationists who believe in our young people and their ability to contribute meaningfully to our communities. For over 30 years, the local corps have been supporting young people through comprehensive programming across California to complete their education, engage in important work and become stewards of our environment. Every day, corpsmembers gain critical job skills and earn a paycheck while serving communities throughout the state. Graffiti and litter removal, recycling, habitat restoration, trail building, disaster response, transportation, housing, and energy efficiency projects are just some of the valuable services local corps provide. CALCC advances the conservation corps movement in California and nationally by strengthening collaboration between California’s local corps and advocating on their behalf. CALCC is at the forefront of statewide, regional, and local advocacy efforts that strengthen environmental standards and create career opportunities for under-represented youth from diverse backgrounds. CALCC has been instrumental in promoting the conservation corps movement in California, securing investment in our youth and communities, and helping the local conservation corps to achieve their missions.
REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS:
• A minimum of four (4) years of management, advocacy, or consultant experience in federal, state, or local government, non-profit, educational, or other related fields is required.
• A Master’s degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Business Administration, or other comparable area or equivalent experience, is desired.
• Experience working with a diverse group of stakeholders, facilitating meetings, reaching consensus, and delivering results is crucial.
• Experience developing and implementing workforce development programming and creating synergies with post-secondary educational institutions (e.g., community colleges) is preferred.
• Experience with fundraising from both government and philanthropic sources is preferred.
• Computer literacy, writing, analytical and office management skills are necessary attributes.
• Knowledge of the national conservation corps movement, youth and workforce development, education and vocational training, and environmental issues is preferred.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Plan and manage all CALCC meetings (currently, bi-weekly Executive Committee calls, monthly CALCC membership virtual meetings and quarterly in-person 2-day meetings)
• Plan and manage CALCC workshops, as identified
• Serve as staff support to ensure CALCC Committees convene, as needed
• Serve as CALCC’s administrative office, receiving official communications and managing CALCC expenses/budget; work through CALCC Treasurer to pay all appropriate bills
• Ensure that CALCC’s administrative documents are updated and finalized, and other compliance requirements are met
• With CALCC’s Executive Committee, assist in coordination of and collaboration with CALCC lobbyist/legislative services consultant(s) and communications/marketing consultant
• Enhance CALCC’s internal and external strength (e.g., organizational structure, strategic vision, role as leaders in Workforce Development)
• Ensure that the association serves as a productive and effective space for corps-to-corps sharing of best practices, lessons learned, problem solving, etc.
• In partnership with CALCC’s lobbyists, heighten enthusiasm and support for corps among state legislators, Governor’s Office, relevant state agencies and community partners
• Build strong data management and sharing to tell corps story
• In partnership with outside consultants and CALCC Marketing/Branding Committee, enhance marketing of corps to raise awareness and support
• Other duties as assigned
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Search/apply for additional sources of sustainable funding that may be available statewide or regionally for the 14 local corps
• Develop recommendations and implement a statewide campaign to increase awareness of and appreciation for the contributions of local corps to the state of California as well as their local communities
• Identify potential partners or coalitions that can assist the local corps in increasing their business opportunities, effectiveness, and efficiency, as well as promote greater youth and workforce development opportunities throughout the State of California
• With CALCC’s lobbyists, identify potential legislative champions who will ensure ongoing support and funding for the Corps movement and who will assist in carrying future legislation in support of the local corps
• Work with members to identify underserved populations in California and develop a strategy, including a financial development plan, for increasing the number of local corps across the State
• Research tools to be made available to local corps in California to track their long-term impacts on the quality of life for the young adults they serve; this research will be used to market the success of local corps, improve their services and potentially expand their programs
• Facilitate an annual meeting to develop CALCC’s annual business plan
• Oversee implementation of the annual business plan, communicating deadlines to members, tracking progress in meeting goals, and developing recommendations for continuous improvement
• Meet with each of the local corps regularly to ensure understanding of each one’s operations and develop recommendations for opportunities to increase knowledge transfer, increase effectiveness, and improve efficiency between corps
• Schedule and facilitate meetings, coordinate agendas, and ensure open communication and sharing of information between CALCC members
• Negotiate room rates and meeting space with hotels and restaurants for CALCC functions
• Maintain CALCC’s non-financial files/information
• Collect, organize, and disseminate data collected from local corps (data requirements are varied but, in the past, have included surveys of best practices, financial data, work project outputs, salary surveys, problem assessment, and other similar information deemed necessary to advance the local corps movement)
• Assist CALCC’s lobbyists and Vice Presidents of Legislation with administrative support to share CALCC’s legislative and budget requests (e.g., drafting/submitting support/opposition letters)
• Pursue education and information re: issues impacting the local corps movement to share with members and to inform future work/funding areas for the local corps (e.g., Workforce Investment & Opportunity Act, Workforce Development Boards, federal Civilian Climate Corps programs, Juvenile Justice Reform, forestry-related opportunities, Bottle Bill etc.)
• Assist CALCC in assessing the impact of public agency administrative practices and the effects of proposed legislation on the work of CALCC and its members
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Email a PDF attachment of the following documents to wbutts@lacorps.org and nmueller@sjcoe.net by March 31, 2022:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Three letters of recommendation/references
• Schedule of fees (the Association is proposing $100,000 for these services for the first year)