Chief Executive Officer

Company Overview: Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that originated in 1973 as a collaboration between 11 faith-based organizations in downtown Fort Worth to bring food to the elderly. Over the years we have grown and now serve all of Tarrant County, providing approximately 1.3 million meals each year to some of Tarrant County’s frailest citizens. By providing home delivered meals, professional case management, and other needed items or services to our homebound, elderly, and disabled clients, we enable them to remain living independently in their homes, surrounded by a lifetime of memories. The majority of our clients can non longer remain at home without assistance. Without our help, many of our clients would be forced into nursing homes or other care facilities. Our goal is to keep our clients in their homes for as long as possible. Meals are delivered by over 5,400 caring volunteers who freely give of their time and personal resources to ensure that our clients receive a nutritious meal and are trained to contact our office if a client does not answer the door. The daily safety check gives many of our clients and their families an added piece of mind.

Position: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will serve as the Agency’s business leader, skilled in driving organizational success and empowering high performing staff and will have an overall management responsibility for a growing impactful agency that comprises a $14 million annual budget and 80 plus employees. This position combines inspirational leadership and sophisticated management abilities and will advance the Agency forward in terms of its culture, capability, processes and impact. This position works closely with the Agency’s executive administrative team and will champion the core mission by ensuring that individuals in the community can live with dignity and receive community support through nutritious meals and coordinated services that improve well-being.

General Responsibilities:
Executive Leadership & Organizational Management

• Provide thoughtful and visionary executive leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering in a manner that supports and guides the organization’s mission as defined by the Board of Directors.
• Present strategic options and plans for organizational impact and gain Board approval as needed to carry out the work of the Agency.
• Organize, motivate, and mentor internal team leaders to strategically grow the Agency’s impact, programs and fundraising supporting fulfillment of the Agency’s mission.
• Utilize innovative strategies to support decision making.
• Establish performance measure for key organizational deliverables; track and analyze performance regularly to identify areas of improvement.
• Continually foster an organizational culture that encourages collaboration between departments and recognizes positive contribution.
• Contribute to the strategic plan and drive its implementation by establishing goals, objectives and operational plans in collaboration with the Board of Directors, staff, and other leaders.
• Manage Agency staff, and oversee processes such as talent management, separation, staff development, performance management, compensation, and benefits.
• Lead and inspire by example a business-oriented, professional, results-driven environment throughout the organization.
• Perform general management duties overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Agency.
• Prepare and present an annual “State of the Agency” report to the Board outlining long and short term goals, accomplishments, and challenges in which the Board can evaluate and make recommendations.

Board Governance

• Maintain regular and ongoing communication to build strong relationships with the entire Board, providing leadership and support to members at all times and working to build consensus as necessary.
• Communicate effectively with the Board by providing members with all information necessary to function efficiently and make informed decisions in a timely manner.
• Attend all Board meetings and provide reports on staff changes, key work initiatives, project timelines, and organizational progress.
• Implement Board policies and procedures and foster support for Board decisions amongst staff.
• Work closely and openly with the Board and the various committees, ensuring ongoing communication of risks, issues, and successes.

Development & Fundraising

• Drive development and fundraising in collaboration with the SVP and VP of Marketing, leveraging the Board as needed.
• Initiate, cultivate, and develop connections with the Agency's portfolio of supporters.
• Ensure the Agency’s financial stability and sustainability by maintaining health cash flow and adequate reserves.

Financial Management & Administration

• Provide strategic leadership and hands-on management for all administrative and operational functions of the Agency in accordance with the mission, objectives, and policies.
• Annually prepare a budget for the Agency along with the SVP to the Board for approval; additionally prepares projections of cash flow and supplementary reports on investment returns, and spending percentage of endowment
• Assume overall responsibility for the fiscal integrity of the Agency, act as a signer of all Agency contracts.
• Monitor Board approved budget and manage financial operations to ensure its maximum utilization of resources and optimum financial positioning for the Agency.

External Relations & Communications

• Represent the Agency publicly and serve as the chief spokesperson at special events, conferences, and partnership meetings as well to a variety of audiences and key stakeholders, including, but not limited to the news media, public engagements, donor development, other relationships.
• Present and promote the Agency, its mission, programs, partners, and members in a positive manner
• Ensure high organizational visibility to prospective partners, donors and the public interest in engaged philanthropy.
• Manage all marketing and public relations aspects of the Agency.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and/other relevant certification.
• A minimum of ten years of management experience in the nonprofit sector with at least 3 years experience as CEO, Executive Director, or equivalent position.
• Solid business acumen and a history of providing visionary leadership at the executive level; ability to effectively interpret financial statements and identify areas of improvement, address problems and develop forecasts; experience working with corporate accountant and audit teams
• Strong passion for the mission of the organization.
• Familiarity with diverse business functions such as Marketing, Public Relations, Human Resources
• Ability to work effectively with various businesses, community, public entities, volunteers, and other key stakeholders; ability to forge coalitions with important internal and external constituencies.
• Excellent oral, written, and leadership skills; assured public presence and comfort level with staff, business, and community leaders.
• Extensive strategic leadership experience in the management of organizations of comparable mission and size; ability to communicate the case for support in lay terms to trustees and other stakeholders.
• Excellent listening skills and the ability to display sensitivity, tact, and responsiveness in various situations and maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Proficient in conflict management.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills; demonstrated effective leadership skills.
• Proven success increasing philanthropic support and growing revenue.
• Experience building teams and developing partnerships.
• Experience working with elected and appointed officials and corporate community leaders.
• Extensive strategic leadership in the management of organizations or comparable mission and size.
• Make presentations on behalf of Meals on Wheels to promote the programs and services and solicit volunteers.
• Provide staff support as designated for the Agency Board of Directors, Trustees, and Committees
• Work with outside funders and other organizations to promote agency programs, serve on committees, and support community coalitions that benefit clients and participants.
• High moral and ethical standards with previous demonstration.

EXPERIENCE

• Proven organizational growth and leadership of a similar or larger size successful nonprofit and/or related entity.
• Demonstrated governance of a nonprofit Board and working with diverse groups of people.
• Established track record of promoting diversity and success in motivating, recruiting, developing, retaining, and mentoring high performance, mission-driven, and result-oriented staff members.
• Proven success increasing philanthropic support and building revenue.
• Experience building teams and developing partnerships.
• Experience working with elected officials and appointed officials and corporate leaders.