NEHSA seeks new Executive Director

NEHSA 2018 retirement notice from Tom Kersey

New England Healing Sports Association

Executive Director

New England Healing Sports is one of the nation’s most highly respected, volunteer driven non-profits focusing on year round adaptive recreational sports and activities. Founded in 1974, NEHSA believes that people of all physical and cognitive abilities can participate in outdoor sports.  Our programs teach individuals with varying degrees of ability to strive toward independence through sports, whether on the water, land or snow.  Our NEHSA Executive Director will envision a world with active, inspired, and more engaged people.  From the vision of our Vietnam era veteran founders, we have grown from a humble beginning to currently providing more than 8,000 instructional hours annually.  With over 600 volunteer members, NEHSA bears witness to the triumph of the human spirit.

Reporting to a supportive, governance focused Board of Directors, the successful candidate must provide over-all leadership and management of this growing organization. Including organizational stewardship and expansion, human resources management, financial controls and philanthropic development.  Further, this candidate will be expected to foster and steer our long-term collaborative relationship with our host mountain and many other partners.

Major responsibilities:

Leadership

  • Ensure ongoing local programming excellence, rigorous program evaluation, consistent quality of financial and administration systems and controls, fundraising, communications and advocacy.
  • Lead, coach, develop and retain the work product of NEHSA’s high performing professional team.
  • Develop, nurture and grow individual and corporate donors.
  • Develop, maintain and support a strong volunteer Board of Directors, Trustees and other Advisor involvement with the strategic direction for on-going operations and future plans.
  • Actively engage and energize NEHSA’s volunteers, membership and alumni as the organization continues to mature and grow.

Fundraising and Development

  • Ensure effective systems to track progress and regularly evaluate programs so as to measure the success components of an overall operating budget of $750,000.00
  • Expand local revenue generation and activities to support existing programing and capital budget requirements (Building)
  • Leverage NEHSA’s regional and national reputation to garner new growth opportunities.

Planning and New Business Development

  • Design and develop, with the guidance of the Board, both near-term and long-term strategic direction of the organization.
  • Continue to build partnerships, including funders in our “outreach markets” to enhance the opportunities for success of these efforts
  • Be a strong external local and national presence for our programs and the organization with emphasis on the successes of our local programs.

Challenges

  • Embracing the challenges of a predominantly volunteer driven organization.
  • Envisioning and leading new programming and strategy towards a dynamic and diverse future.
  • Embracing our history while leading NEHSA to a new level of success.

Qualifications:

Any successful candidate will be thoroughly committed to NEHSA’s mission. S/he shall have proven leadership, coaching and management experience.  Other qualifications include:

  • 5 years experience in middle management or above with a proven track record effective team building.
  • Positive experience in leading a volunteer workforce within a not-for-profit enterprise.
  • Business development experience in a service industry or with a nonprofit; with a proven track record of setting and achieving targeted goals.
  • Strong interpersonal verbal communications skills and demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively.
  • Past success in working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.
  • Strong marketing, public relations and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
  • Passion, integrity, a positive attitude, mission driven and self-directed.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent prior experience