Lou Raymond
retires from leading Charlestown non-profit – new leadership search underway
By
Will Collette
For
almost 25 years, Lou Raymond has worked tirelessly to turn South County Habitat for Humanity into one of the area’s most effective non-profits.
For years,
Habitat was practically the only source of new, affordable housing in
Charlestown.
By
adding “Restore,” Habitat also secured a new source of funding by selling
donated goods and building supplies at really great bargain prices.
Lou
also connected Habitat with other housing and advocacy groups in South County
that seek to improve the quality of life for working families in South County.
He
will be missed.
Please read Catherine Hewitt’s feature story on Lou HERE
in the Westerly Sun.
SC Habitat’s Board of Directors started
the ball rolling to find a new Executive Director. The Sun reports they hope to
name a new director by late fall this year.
Below is the job announcement as
posted in RI
Community Jobs.
Job Title: Executive
Director
Organization:
South County Habitat for Humanity
Location:
Charlestown, RI
Salary:
$65-80,000
Start
Date: November 1, 2017
Full
Time
Permanent
Job Description
-------------------------------------------
South
County Habitat for Humanity Rhode Island (SCHH), an affiliate of Habitat for
Humanity, International (HHI), is seeking a full time Executive Director to
lead this thriving, mission-focused organization.
Since
1976 HHI has partnered with people in US communities (now 1,400), and all over
the world, to help them build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes
alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Habitat homeowners achieve the strength,
stability and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and
for their families.
About SCHH
SCHH
as an affiliate of HHI is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally
and worldwide. Established in 1990 and
bordering the southern coast of RI, SCHH has built 52 homes and served over 60
families in South County, officially Washington County, and funded the building
of over 100 homes, internationally.
The
organization’s Operations Center and ReStore are centrally co-located in rural
Charlestown, RI.
SCHH
employs a range of HHI-approved programs to serve struggling families.
In addition to building new houses, SCHH has
renovated or modified existing houses allowing families to stay in their own
homes. SCHH also offers education
programs to assist both new and existing homeowners with the short- and
long-term financial requirements of homeownership. All of this contributes to the very favorable
reputation enjoyed by SCHH in the state of RI.
 |
| Fund-raising is a BIG part of the Executive Director's job. |
Our
successful ReStore comprises over 5,000 square feet of donated, mostly used,
home furnishings, construction materials and housewares, which are sold at
tremendous savings so families from all over RI are able to repair, renovate
and redecorate their homes.
SCHH
is currently operated by a professional staff of seven, full and part-time
employees, supported by hundreds of volunteers and donors, including a large,
enthusiastic group of students and faculty of the University Of Rhode Island
(URI), and led by a Board of Directors committed to seeking opportunities to
expand SCHH’s capacity to serve more families.
Budgeted income for 2017 is $1.6 million, a 14% increase over 2016. The ReStore is expected to generate
sufficient revenue in 2017 to cover the affiliate’s operating expenses,
allowing 100% of SCHH cash donations to support our mission projects.
Executive Director Candidate Profile
The
next Executive Director of SCHH will report to the Board of Directors, provide
overall leadership, and serve as the chief executive officer of this dynamic
and expanding non-profit affordable housing organization.
The
preferred candidate is a demonstrated leader with extensive experience managing
people, assets and finances, as well as fund development.
As an organization poised for growth, SCHH is
also seeking an Executive Director with strong strategic planning and project
development skills. Prior real estate,
construction and/or retail experience would be valuable, although not required.
The
Executive Director must be prepared to deal effectively with both internal and
external challenges, not the least of which is a shortage of affordable building
lots, which may necessitate exploring a change to our home development
model.
Additionally, changing government
regulations, diminishing government grant opportunities, an uncertain economy,
and competing demands on our staff, volunteers and donors require an Executive
Director who thrives on challenge, has superior communication skills (both
written and verbal), and has the ability to examine current practices for
modification and continuous improvement. In this regard, ReStore revenue
expansion will be an ongoing goal for the new Executive Director.
The
Executive Director must also be the affiliate’s primary affordable housing
advocate and fund raiser. SCHH’s connections to the community are strong and
extensive and demand constant attention.
The candidate must have the ability to consistently engage individuals,
businesses, churches, civic organizations, schools and local government
entities as well as enhance existing relationships including our partnership
with URI.
The Executive Director must also
be able to engage and challenge the Board of Directors and support the
recruitment of Board members who bring expertise and energy to the governance
of the organization.
In
addition, the Executive Director must ensure that the affiliate meets the standards
and best practices guidelines of Habitat for Humanity, International.
Preferred Skills and Experience
• Strong operational and people
management skills and the ability to work with operational committees, as well
as with staff
• Fundraising success, including
government and private foundation grants, donor cultivation, and events
• Budget/financial management
• Ability to communicate with excellent
written, verbal and interpersonal skills that effectively promote the
organization’s mission.
• Proficient with software
applications, e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.
• Demonstrated success in developing
and strengthening a broad range of external partnerships and relationships;
• Organization and time management
skills
• Bachelors’ Degree preferred, or
relevant work experience in applicable disciplines, e.g. construction,
management, finance and/or the non-profit environment, may be sufficient
• Experience in working effectively
with a Board of Directors
• Knowledge of community development
Salary Range:
$65,000-$80,000
Benefits:
• Health Insurance
• Retirement Plan (Simple IRA)
• Paid-Time-Off (PTO) Program
• Holiday Schedule
• Jury Duty
• Military Leave
• Leave Without Pay
• COBRA (Continuation of Benefits)
• Workers Compensation Insurance
• Temporary Disability Insurance
(RITDI)
South
County Habitat for Humanity Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer. People from diverse backgrounds are strongly
encouraged to apply.
How
to Apply
-------------------------------------------
To
apply for this position, please forward resume and cover letter no later than
May 1, 2017, to search@southcountyhabitat.org