Position Blueprint. President

Transcription

1 Position Blueprint President

2 JustLeadershipUSA President CONTENTS I. Mission and History II. Position Description III. Qualities and Qualifications IV. Goals and Objectives V. Organization Chart VI. Board of Directors and Advisory Board VII Biographies VIII. The SAH Consultancy Inc

3 JustLeadershipUSA MISSION JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) is dedicated to cutting the US correctional population in #halfby2030. JLUSA empowers people most affected by incarceration to drive policy reform. HISTORY JLUSA was founded in November 2014 by national criminal justice reform advocate Glenn E. Martin, on the guiding principle that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, but furthest from resources and power. JLUSA is the first organization in the country to call for the correctional system to be halved, and has inspired a movement of people and new organizations to follow their mission toward decarceration. From closing toxic jails and prisons to reforming pretrial laws, barriers to employment, and the wider system of mass criminalization, JLUSA s bold campaigns with valued partners across the U.S., amplify the voices and expertise of directly impacted people who are leading us toward #halfby2030. THEORY OF CHANGE JLUSA s theory of change consists of three pillars: Leadership, Advocacy, and Membership. JLUSA believes that America s most challenging barrier to expansive, systemic criminal and juvenile justice reform is the absence of clear and consistent leadership by those who have been directly affected by our failed criminal justice policies. Leadership: JLUSA s leadership program, consisting of the Leading with Conviction (LwC) advanced leadership development program and Emerging Leaders regional training program, is an investment in the individual and collective leadership of people directly impacted by the system of mass incarceration. Leading with Conviction is an advanced leadership training for formerly incarcerated, mid-senior level leaders with a specific and proven track record in advocacy and community organizing. LwC trainings benefit leaders by introducing them to the people and practices closely linked to successful community and regional criminal justice advocacy efforts, enabling them to take on greater challenges and to generate quantifiable impact in their work. Advocacy: JustLeadershipUSA launched the bold and successful #CLOSErikers campaign in 2016, propelling the organization onto the national stage. The #CLOSErikers campaign now has nearly 200 partner organizations, and it is the official policy of the City of New York that Rikers Island will be closed. Since then,

4 JLUSA has launched or joined five more advocacy campaigns, led by directly impacted communities, in cities and states across the country. JustLeadershipUSA s campaigns, while differing in location, scope, and approach, all fundamentally adhere to the organization s values, and all work to help achieve the ultimate goal of cutting the correctional population in #halfby2030. Membership: JustLeadershipUSA is building a national membership base of thousands of people who stand up against harmful laws and stand up in support of the families and communities who have been harmed by mass incarceration. Our members support JLUSA advocacy campaigns and organize their own campaigns and events to raise awareness of the issues surrounding incarceration. JLUSA s #2MillionVoices national project dedicated to elevating the expertise and stories of the people currently incarcerated in the nation s jails and prisons. #2MillionVoices is building membership among currently incarcerated people in facilities in every state across the country creating real opportunities for our members to share their experiences and lifting-up their vision for a brighter future. STAFF AND BUDGET SIZE JustLeadershipUSA has grown significantly each year since its founding. Over the past year, the staff has more than doubled in size to its current level of 26 full-time staff members, and the organization anticipates having more than 40 full-time staff members by the end of JustLeadershipUSA s 2018 operating budget is approximately $8 million. JLUSA does not accept any government funding and is supported by more than 25 private foundations and family funds, individual donors, and membership dues. A partial list of foundation partners can be found on the website. For more information on JustLeadershipUSA, please go to

5 JustLeadershipUSA President POSITION DESCRIPTION Opportunity This is an opportunity for a highly successful, formerly incarcerated individual with substantial management, fund raising, policy making and advocacy experience to lead one of the country s groundbreaking organizations that is striving to redefine justice. The President, in partnership with the Board of Directors and the executive team, is responsible for continuing JLUSA s vision; further developing the existing programs and identifying new, innovative approaches consistent with the organization s theory of change; and, leading the organization toward its mission of cutting the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030 by investing in the leadership of those who have been most harmed by the nation s system of incarceration. This position plays an integral role in furthering the JustLeadershipUSA strategic direction, development and future growth. Reporting Relationships The President reports to the Board of Directors. Responsibilities Provide leadership internally and externally that is aligned with the organization s culture, mission and values; Collaborate with the Board of Directors to ensure that the budget, staff, and priorities are aligned with and further the organization s core mission; Collaborate with the development team on fundraising projects and cultivating funder relationships; Lead a three to five-year strategic planning process, and work with the executive team and staff to implement the strategic plan; Identify strategies to improve the organization s current programs and services; and, Set campaign strategy and vision, and implement operational strategies that include policy and legislative efforts at the local, state, and federal levels.

6 QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS A passion for, and working knowledge of, social justice and social change; Demonstrated ability to set strategy and execute plans; Experience working productively with boards and/or other high-level volunteers; Substantial experience managing people with the ability to invest in the leadership of staff, interns, volunteers, and campaign members; the skill and ability to nurture and support the existing dedicated staff; a successful track record of success hiring talented individuals; Strong financial skills; the ability to analyze many program budgets simultaneously; Sufficient fundraising experience with a proven track record of success in order to secure high-level grants; The ability to partner with the Board of Directors and Director of Development in setting the strategy for, and achieving, fund raising goals; Extensive experience in initiating, planning and managing sophisticated and long-term advocacy campaigns; Intercultural awareness as applicable to culture, gender, racial justice and social justice values; Ability to communicate clearly and ethically in order to inspire and motivate all staff levels and external partners; stellar interpersonal skills; Excellent writing, editing, and communications skills; Ability to prioritize and to responsibly manage several projects at a time; Strong supervisory skills, collaborative instincts and work style; A sense of humor; A sophisticated leader with a high level of political and diplomatic savvy and deep intellectual curiosity; Some level of experience having worked through a major organizational shift; a calm and steady demeanor with the ability to support staff through organizational change; A highly skilled collaborator who will continue to bring the Board and other stakeholders together to continue investing in formerly incarcerated leaders; Comfort working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment; An experienced and competent public speaker; Ability and willingness to travel nationally; Significant experience in the criminal justice policy and reform arena; an understanding of the legislative process.

7 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES It is expected that the President will, in the first three to five years, have achieved the following goals and objectives (not in order): Garnered the respect of existing funders and firmly established productive relationships with them; Brought the organization to a place of stability while at the same time helped set a course for future growth and achievement of objectives; Partnered successfully with the Board of Directors; Maintained or increased the size of the budget and raised money from new individual major donors as well as existing institutional donors; Ensured continued investments in the development of Leading with Conviction Fellows and Emerging Leaders participants; Furthered the organization s status as a national criminal justice reform organization without losing/sacrificing the mission and values of the organization; Ensured the infrastructure is sufficiently robust and resourced to sustain continued growth.

8 ORGANIZATION CHART

9 JustLeadershipUSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Vivian Nixon, Board Chair Annabel Davis-Goff Bruce Western David Solomon Jackie Mann Julia Paliare Lawrence Gelber, In Memorium Robert Liu Sue Kaplan, JD JLUSA Advisory Board Barbara Edwards Delsman Charlita Cardwell Daryl Atkinson Dorsey Nunn Felicia Reback Francis Greenburger Michelle Alexander Norris Henderson Piper Kerman William Bill Cabin

10 JustLeadershipUSA BIOGRAPHIES Vivian Nixon, Board Chair Executive Director, College and Community Fellowship (CCF) An alumna of CCF s program, Vivian Nixon advocates nationally for the return of college-level education to our nation s prisons and is an advocate for formerly incarcerated individuals impacted by mass incarceration. She is a Columbia University Community Scholar and a recipient of the John Jay Medal for Justice, the Ascend Fellowship at the Aspen Institute, and the Soros Justice Fellowship. Nixon received her B.S. from SUNY and is currently a creative non-fiction MFA candidate at Columbia University. Vivian Nixon has written articles for VICE, HuffPost, and Boston Globe among others. She has appeared on several MSNBC news shows and is a regular speaker on criminal justice reform panels. Brent J. Cohen, Interim CEO & Vice President Brent J. Cohen is the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA). Brent is a noted justice reformer, with senior-level experience in city and federal government. Previously, Brent served as an appointee in the Obama Administration, where he was a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). At DOJ, Brent focused on reforming state and local criminal and juvenile justice systems by addressing racial disparities and reducing reliance on incarceration. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Brent was the Director of Legislative and Government Affairs for the New York City Department of Probation, where he doggedly pursued progressive criminal justice reform and successfully passed several pieces of state legislation to implement the department s ambitious reform agenda. In 2013, Brent was one of twelve people appointed by President Obama to be a White House Fellow. He began his career as a teacher in South Los Angeles. Brent earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Master of Public Administration from New York University s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

11 THE SAH CONSULTANCY INC The mission of The SAH Consultancy Inc, a retained search firm, is to provide excellence in search consulting services to the nonprofit community. Believing that such organizations are a vital part of our social fabric, the company commits to partner with organizations furthering the causes of human and civil rights, social justice and issues enhancing the quality of life for all people. The SAH Consultancy Inc has recruited successful, dedicated professionals for nonprofit organizations nationally including human service and advocacy organizations, public and private colleges and universities, as well as arts and cultural organizations. PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY Nominations and applications may be submitted in confidence to: Sally-Ann Hard The SAH Consultancy Inc shard@sahinc.biz