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Job Posting |
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, based in Pocantico Hills, NY, is seeking an innovative and inspiring Executive Director to provide leadership for this unique organization.
Organizational Overview
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (the Center) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing sustainable agricultural practices and community-based food systems. The mission of the Center is
"To celebrate, teach and advance community-based food production and enjoyment. Through education, demonstration and outreach, the Center inspires innovation and active participation for improving policies and practices that affect the overall health of individuals, local food economies, communities and the environment."
What makes this organization special is the integration of farming, livestock management, environmental education, and food service delivery. Not only does the Center serve as an extraordinary incubator for innovative farming practices, but with its partner, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, it also reflects the work of farmers by bringing the field to the plate.
For close to a century, the buildings that now make up the Center were part of the Rockefeller family estate in Pocantico Hills, NY. In the 1920’s, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. modernized his family’s farming operation in an effort to provide fresh milk and produce for his family and employees. He hired the Olmsted brothers to advise him on the process and, in the early 1930s, commissioned architect Grosvenor Atterbury to design a complex of stone farm buildings. In the late 1970s, Peggy Rockefeller brought new life to the stone barns with her Simmental cattle operation, which drew breeders from all over the U.S. and Latin America to attend the cattle auctions held in the courtyard. Peggy Rockefeller also served as one of the champions and founders of American Farmland Trust, a leading nonprofit organization whose mission is to stop the loss of productive farmland and promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment.
After his wife Peggy’s death in 1996, David Rockefeller and his daughter Peggy Dulany committed themselves to creating a center where the threats to farmland and food supply could be discussed and ways to improve farming methods and agricultural policy could be explored. In 2004, the Center opened with a mission to celebrate, teach, and advance community-based food production and enjoyment from farm to classroom to table.
The Center is within a 45-minute drive for the nearly 19 million residents of the New York metropolitan area. The Center's farm, education center and its partner, Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant, work hand-in-hand to provide an inspiring way to think about growing healthy food. The four-season produce and pastured livestock farm grows crop varieties and raises animals best suited for the region. The education center's rich mix of programs and activities provides intriguing opportunities for people to participate and learn. For adults, that includes how-to workshops and lectures, in-depth book discussions with noted authors, and more. For kids, there are school programs, farmer-in-training after-school activities, and a summer day camp. There are also numerous family activities and volunteer opportunities.
The Center is at a pivotal point in its organizational development as the nation and world are focused on an impending food crisis. The Center is committed to being a leader in this important moment facing the future of food and agricultural systems at a regional, national, and international level. As an organization, it will be essential for the Center to further develop its infrastructure to support an expanding portfolio of programs; to expand and sustain fundraising activities to fully capitalize the Center; and to continue to build on the unique features of the Center that will be critical to the future.
For more information on Stone Barns Center, please visit www.stonebarnscenter.org.
Executive Director
The Executive Director will provide leadership for the overall organization. Currently, the Center has an operating budget of $4.4 million, a professional staff of approximately 30, and a 12-member Board of Directors who meet quarterly. In April 2008, the Center announced the appointment of Fred Kirschenmann, former Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, to serve as President of the Board. He will continue to divide his time between the Center and serving as Distinguished Fellow for the Leopold Center. The Executive Director will work closely with Dr. Kirschenmann in helping to advance the next stage of development for the organization.
The Executive Director will ensure that the Center and all of its activities operate at their maximum capacity and provide a strong foundation for the future. In addition, the Executive Director--working with the Board, Development Director, and key program staff--will play a crucial role in fundraising and other program and policy development activities that supports the Center’s mission. In addition, the Executive Director will continue to build a vibrant and highly collegial working relationship with Blue Hill, an independent for-profit business that serves as the Center’s primary tenant and farm production customer. Dan Barber and David Barber, co-founders of Blue Hill, serve on the Board of the Center. The Executive Director will be based at the Center in Pocantico Hills, New York and will report to the Board of Directors.
The broad goals and objectives facing the Executive Director include:
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To provide strategic leadership in helping to prioritize among the Center’s many current activities and audiences to ensure that they are using their unique resources most effectively;
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To provide organizational leadership for the Center and foster a culture which recruits and retains top-level professional staff;
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To continue to expand fundraising activities with individuals, foundations, corporations, and special events to support the Center’s core business and programmatic priorities;
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To support the Board, Dr. Kirschenmann, and senior staff in building, strengthening and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, donors, partners and critical constituencies;
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To continue to develop a plan for the future by cultivating, expanding and empowering the Center’s Board of Directors, advisors, and partners.
Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes
Beyond these objectives, the Executive Director should ideally possess the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:
Professional Qualifications
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A passionate commitment to the mission and values of Center.
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A leadership record of success in raising significant funds from a range of sources such as private and family foundations, corporate foundations and sponsorships, individual donors, and other revenue-generating activities.
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An ability to focus an organization’s human, financial, and ecological resources to maximize its strengths and link them to customer needs.
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A demonstrated skill in directing both internal organizational management and external mission outreach.
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An advanced degree in agriculture or food systems, or experience in agriculture or food systems practice, outreach, and/or advocacy is highly preferred.
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A demonstrated ability to lead and inspire an engaged team of colleagues.
Personal Attributes
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A capacity to listen and to work with others – a deep commitment to the spirit and practice of contemplative reflection on a personal and organizational basis.
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An ability to inspire trust, a proven ability to lead and facilitate with strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to move from ideas to action.
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An ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a diverse range of people from different environments and sectors.
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An ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, approachability, and openness to input and feedback.
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An ability to stay grounded and trustworthy, an ability to give credit and recognition to others, and a personal style of acting with humility and grace – in sum, a superb professional and personal presence.
Compensation
The compensation for this opportunity has been designed to attract a person of significant accomplishment. The Center offers the opportunity to work in a beautiful and thoughtful community.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter explaining how your skills and background fit this position and a resume to resumes@explorecompany.com.
Daniel Sherman
President
Explore Company
1054 31st Street NW
Suite 330
Washington, DC 20007
202-333-3475 fax
Stone Barns
Center for Food and Agriculture
is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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© Explore Company, 2008 |
1054 31st Street, NW | Suite 330 | Washington, DC 20007 |