Virginia Conservation Network - Executive Director

Virginia Conservation Network Executive Director

The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) is looking to hire a dynamic leader as its next Executive Director.

VCN is the partnership of over 160 environmental organizations working together to protect Virginia's natural resources. VCN works to build capacity and long-term power for our partners and the movement through shared resources and training. VCN is a facilitator of strategic action, a resource for Network Partners statewide, and a constant conservation presence in Virginia's Capitol. Playing a unique role in Virginia's conservation community, VCN helps the community speak with one coordinated voice.

VCN's Network Partners work on a wide range of issues including the cleaning up of the Chesapeake Bay, coastal resiliency, protecting wildlife habitat, increasing access to parks and trails, making our communities more walkable and bikeable, achieving 100% clean energy, fighting new fossil fuel infrastructure, ensuring environmental justice, and more. Given the diverse work of our partners organizations, VCN organizes its programs into four main categories : Healthy Rivers, Clean Energy and Climate, Land Conservation, and Land Use and Transportation.

The organization and its staff focus on strengthening the conservation community as a whole and winning environmental victories that benefit all Virginians. VCN is committed to its core pillars of Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging (DEIB), which support a strong and diverse network and raise the standards for Virginia's environmental movement.

The staff team of eight are all respected leaders in Virginia's environmental community who drive meaningful, mission-driven environmental change across Virginia. The team cultivates an equitable, people-centered movement grounded in collaboration, respect, and trust.

Over the last nine years, under the leadership of VCN's current Executive Director, the organization has grown in size and impact, bolstering the conservation and environmental community movement infrastructure in the state of Virginia. The current Executive Director is stepping down at the end of the year. The VCN Board of Directors is looking for the next dynamic leader of the organization capable of executing a successful leadership transition that allows the organization to continue to grow and thrive.

Responsibilities

Fundraising

• Act as the primary fundraiser for the organization. Build relationships with and raise money from VCN's existing foundation funders and help grow the support from new foundations.
• Bottomline VCN Annual Dues renewal. Maintain relationships with VCN Network partners to ensure VCN is a responsive partnership worth their annual investment.
• Maintain and build up an individual giving program through annual individual giving mailing, online giving, and one on one meetings.

Network Builder

Fiscal & Organizational Compliance

Staff Management, Recruitment, Retention & Organizational Culture

Leading Voice for VCN & VA's Conservation Community

Strategic Campaign Facilitator

Liaison to VCN Board

About You

People-Centered Relationship Builder

You love engaging with all types of people. You're just as comfortable talking to a Governor as you are a volunteer community member. You can connect with a rural community leader just as easily as a youth climate advocate. You understand that working in a diverse movement means bringing together people with all different experiences, cultures & perspectives. You thrive on getting to know people's stories and helping people see each other's perspectives.

Intersectional Environmentalist

You are passionate about protecting the environment. You see the intersection of water quality, land use, climate change, energy, and wildlife. You recognize and are excited that VCN's partnership works on everything from public transportation access to oyster restoration; scaling our clean energy commitments to connecting wildlife corridors.

Behind the Scenes Leader

You know that the work that happens to prepare a big meeting is just as important as the meeting itself. You are a proven project manager and love to pull together a purposeful agenda that makes progress on strategic conversations. You don't mind being in the limelight when the moment is right but, your first instinct is to lift up the voices of others through programs and events.

Comfortable with Conflict

You understand that many of the biggest environmental problems of our day come with conflict. You have experience addressing conflict head-on while bringing down the temperature of disagreements. You are a mediator that looks to solve big problems with action.

Pragmatic, Optimistic Change Maker

You have experience making change and are a visionary. You know we're up against huge challenges. You use the success of past wins to drive future optimism that, if we work together, we can make more change possible. You recognize that progress can come in both inches and yards. You lead with joy, celebration and continued momentum.

Strategic Campaigner

You recognize that our movement is a jigsaw puzzle and it requires all of the pieces to be successful - policy, advocacy, grassroots, legal, communications, and education. You're able to step back and see future alignment and future gaps. You simultaneously focus on executing tried and true campaign tactics while not being afraid to try new things. You grow ideas at the speed of trust. You value organizing and have a keen political eye.

Mentor, Trainer & Organizational Builder

You know that the best leaders are those that build the strongest team. You have a knack for finding the best people to join you and putting them into positions where they thrive. You enjoy recruiting people to be a part of what you're doing.

Equity-Centered Approach

You recognize that low-income people, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color have disproportionately shouldered the burden of pollution in our communities. You have a proven track record working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice at an organizational level. You strive to build a movement and organization that reflects the demographics of the Commonwealth, ensuring the protection of natural resources for everyone and a sustainable future for all communities.

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