You are on page 1of 5

Executive Position Description

For
CEO/President
People Serving People

www.peopleservingpeople.org

On behalf of our client, People Serving People, KeyStone Search is conducting a retained
search for a new CEO/President.

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

People Serving People, Inc. (PSP) was incorporated and received its 501(c)(3) status in
1982, as a temporary homeless shelter for men with chemical dependencies. The first
location was the former Francis Drake Hotel. Over the past twenty years homelessness
changed from affecting mostly men with chemical and mental health problems, to
affecting families with children.

PSP saw the need to adapt to the changing homeless population and became an
emergency shelter for men and/or women with families and unaccompanied youth. Some
nights the number of homeless children PSP sheltered soared to nearly 500. To
accommodate families, PSP opened an additional building to provide safe and sober
emergency housing. In 1987, Hennepin County began to refer families to PSP. These
referrals, and the development of cooperative ventures with community agencies,
prompted PSP to offer a holistic approach by providing on-site collaborative services,
which they continue today.

Concentrating its services on homeless families in the late 1990s, PSP conducted focus
groups and compiled a feasibility study relative to the type of facility and services that
were needed to serve the seven county homeless population. It was determined that PSP
should own a single, larger location near the city's core. In the fall of 1997, PSP
embarked on a capital campaign and purchased a building at 614 S. 3rd Street, in
downtown Minneapolis.
People Serving People
June 2010
Page 2 of 5

In 2002, People Serving People renovated and moved into its new location. The facility
was built to accommodate partner organizations; approximately 20 other agencies are
currently housed on-site. Our current facility has 10 floors and a lower level full service
dining hall; including seven floors for emergency housing, offering 99 hotel-size rooms
and 10 two-bedroom apartments. There are four service floors containing a dining room,
two libraries, several classrooms, collaborative agency offices, medical clinic, one infant
and one preschool center, computer lab, and more.

People Serving People’s mission: To serve homeless children and their families and
provide a new opportunity for a healthy, stable family life.

People Serving People achieves its mission and goals by providing emergency housing
and community services that assist families experiencing homelessness in becoming self-
sufficient and reconnected with the community. In a safe, secure and sober environment,
PSP provides services which cultivate independence and accountability.

What distinguishes PSP from other emergency shelters is the broad range of on-site
programs and services designed to address common barriers that homeless families are
faced with. To provide a new opportunity for families, it is necessary that PSP helps them
find ways to break through these barriers and stop patterns that lead to poverty and
homelessness. Housing and employment issues are addressed, along with educational,
emotional and life enrichment needs.

POSITION OVERVIEW

As the leader of a regional innovative emergency shelter, the PSP CEO/President has an
incredible opportunity to impact the lives of homeless children and their families and to
provide the vision and leadership necessary to bring the organization to the “next level”.
Reporting to the PSP Board of Directors, the CEO/President is responsible for leading,
directing and managing the organization in a manner consistent with the mission, vision
and values of the organization, and doing so in a fiscally responsible and ethically sound
manner. The current budget for PSP operations is $7.2M, of which approximately 60% is
from public funding sources.

Working in concert with the Board of Directors, the CEO/President will oversee the
implementation of the recently completed PSP Strategic Plan and provide leadership
within the organization and with external stakeholders to ensure the plan is achieved over
the next three years. The CEO/President is ultimately responsible for management of all
employees of People Serving People which includes approximately 49 full-time
equivalent team members and over 1,200 volunteers. Current direct reports to the position
include the Director of Finance and Operations and Director of Development.
People Serving People
June 2010
Page 3 of 5

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The CEO/President of People Serving People is responsible for providing vision and
strategic leadership with both internal and external stakeholders to lead the organization
to “the next level”. Specific responsibilities include:

Administration and Program Development:


• Assures that the organization is making consistent and timely progress with
regards to the implementation of its 2010-2012 strategic plan
• Provides leadership in developing programs, organizational and financial plans
with the Board of Directors and staff, and carries out the plans and policies
authorized by the board.
• Promotes active and broad participation by staff in all areas of the agency’s work.
• Maintains a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in
providing services to homeless children and families.

Fundraising and Development:


• Attracts and solicits financial resources for the organization and promotes a
culture of philanthropy from within by identifying and implementing strong
program plans and strategies that attract revenue.
• Drives fundraising strategies and campaigns, which will lead to the future growth
of the organization.

Management:
• Models leadership behaviors that lead to a productive, professionally competent
workforce in an environment respectful of personal well being and cultural
diversity.
• Encourages staff development and education, and assists program staff in relating
their specialized work to the total program of the agency.
• Maintains a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top
quality people that also provides opportunities for advancement.

Budget and Finance:


• Ensures the fiscal vitality of the organization through monitoring of budgets,
grants, and capital assets.
• Works with the staff, Finance Committee, and the board in preparing the annual
budget.
• Ensures that adequate funds are available to permit the organization to carry out
its work.
People Serving People
June 2010
Page 4 of 5

Communications:
• Keeps the Boards of Directors fully informed on the condition of the agency and
all important factors influencing it.
• Publicizes the activities of the organization, its programs and goals.
• Establishes sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with
governmental bodies, community groups and organizations that impact
accomplishing the mission of People Serving People.
• Represents the programs and point of view of People Serving People to agencies,
organizations, and the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate for this position is an experienced and visionary professional with a
passion for building strength, success and resiliency in addressing homelessness. The
successful candidate will be a person of integrity and stature in the community with
proven leadership experience, exemplary business and/or nonprofit management skills,
and a strong commitment and dedication to raising the visibility and impact of People
Serving People. Fundraising, community relations and partnerships, and board
development are all key components of this challenging role.

Ideal candidates will possess ten to fifteen years of progressive leadership experience in a
complex, multi-faceted organization, including experience working with a community-
based human services or non-profit agency or relevant board experience. A bachelor’s
degree is required with a master’s degree preferred.

Other essential skills and experience include:

• A proven track record in leading, building and growing an organization through a


caring, collaborative and team-oriented leadership style.

• Demonstrated success in fundraising from corporate, foundation, and individual


donors and experience in identifying and securing diverse revenue streams.

• Big picture thinker with the ability to think strategically about achieving People
Serving People’s goals.

• The willingness, presence and capacity to be People Serving People’s face to the
public, which includes being an effective communicator, a persuasive influencer,
and a good listener.

• Outstanding leadership, planning, organizational, and management skills.

• Demonstrated financial management and budgeting abilities.


People Serving People
June 2010
Page 5 of 5

• Ability to establish and maintain excellent, productive relationships with the


Board of Directors, agency staff, the community, and program sponsors including
city, county and state agencies.

• Knowledge of the field of homelessness and direct services including funding


streams.

• Ability to build trust, relationships and to work effectively with people from
diverse backgrounds and a broad range of constituencies.

COMPENSATION

The salary for this position is commensurate with experience and competitive with
similar nonprofits. A full benefits package is offered including Paid Time Off (PTO), a
retirement plan and the following insurance programs: medical, dental, life, accidental
death/dismemberment, short and long term disability.

CONTACT

Lars Leafblad, Principal Rebecca Yanisch, Principal


Phone: 612-375-8989 Phone : 612-375-8841
Email: larsl@keystonesearch.com Email : rebeccay@keystonesearch.com

“Because Culture Matters”

You might also like