President and CEO

The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is seeking a justice-focused and empathetic President and CEO to deepen the organization’s impact through staff leadership, community member partnership, and client service.

Organization
The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport (The Council) is a faith-based, non-sectarian social services agency dedicated to meeting the evolving needs of people at risk and breaking the cycle of poverty and crisis.

Having served the community for 77 years, the Council’s mission is to create and sustain a more just, healthy, and vibrant society through a unique model that serves many populations with its holistic services and programs.  The Council is guided by its core values:

The Council serves all those in need, without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.  The organization fulfills its mission in partnership with 70 local interfaith member congregations that provide a wide network of support with diverse resources and skills.  Together with their partners, The Council is able to offer the following programs and services dedicated to empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty:

In addition to offering social service programs, The Council is a regional leader in anti-racism work.  Raising the B.A.R. (Becoming Anti-Racist) is Council initiative that facilitates programs for faith communities and their members to understand, address, and dismantle racism, individually and institutionally.

The Council's service area is concentrated on people from Bridgeport and its suburbs:  Fairfield, Easton, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe and Stratford, with additional partners in Westport, Milford and other portions of Fairfield and New Haven counties.  Residents of Fairfield County span the spectrum of great poverty and great wealth and the Council is in a unique position to marry the needs and resources of the two.

Staff are currently led by Interim President and CEO Tom Larson who enjoys the support and advisement of past President and CEO Rev. Cass Shaw.  The Council has an engaged, supportive board of 14 who come from a variety of faith-based and secular professional backgrounds; a diverse, passionate staff of 11; and many member congregation volunteers all with the unifying goal of affecting positive change in the community.  The Council’s annual operating budget is $1.8 million.

Opportunity
The next President and CEO of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport will have the opportunity to lead a well-established organization with a solid public reputation and longstanding trust and partnerships within the community.  Priorities for the Council’s next President and CEO include:

Bolster an Organizational Culture Rooted in Trust
The Council’s next President and CEO will lead, empower, and nurture a dedicated staff, some of whom are new and highly energized and some of whom are long-tenured and highly effective.  Staff have a keen desire for a leader who will effectively continue the development of a culture that promotes inclusivity, respect and diversity.  Staff care focused in holistic support will be a priority for the next President and CEO. 

Steer the Strategic Vision and Planning Process of the Council
The next President and CEO of The Council will have the opportunity to sharpen the focus of the mission and lead a strategic planning process to optimize operations, adapt programmatic needs, and expand advocacy and organizing work integrated in programs. 

Advancing the Council’s social justice agenda will provide an opportunity for the next President and CEO to continue the Council’s evolution from a charity to a social justice model.  The next President and CEO will continue to develop highly-valued DEI work both internally and externally.  The President and CEO will also be a conduit between the Council and communities of color, intentionally building relationships and partnerships.

The next President and CEO of the Council will increase operational effectiveness by capitalizing on the staff’s strong desire to increase synergy and communications between programs.  Increased engagement across congregations and community partners will also be a key factor in optimizing operations.

A priority for the next President and CEO will be to align fundraising efforts with the Council’s next strategic plan.  They will develop a targeted funding plan to maintain the organization’s sustainability and financial security. 

The next President and CEO of the Council will prioritize stewarding the organization’s relationships and partnerships with the faith, nonprofit and civic communities in the Greater Bridgeport region.  They will build and enhance strong community awareness.  They will lead with compassion and empathy and will effectively and thoughtfully interact with clients, interfaith congregation partners and community members in both urban and suburban environments. 

In addition to attending to the aforementioned more immediate organizational priorities, the President and CEO of the Council is responsible for the following:

Board Administration and Support
Support the operations and administration of the Board by advising and informing Board members through timely reports, interfacing between the Board and staff, actively recruiting new Board members, and recognizing the Board’s responsibility to evaluate the CEO’s performance.

With the Directors of individual programs, oversee the design, marketing, promotion, delivery and quality of the Council’s programs.  The JANUS program operates with a team of staff and interns (undergraduate and graduate social work student interns). 

Present yearly budget for Board approval and prudently manage the organization’s resources within those budgeted guidelines according to current laws and regulations. The next President and CEO will provide oversight and direction to the Controller.

Identify resource requirements, and, with a development consultant and with Program Directors, identify and apply for possible sources of funds, both public and private.

Effectively manage the human resources of the organization according to authorized personnel policies and procedures that fully conform to current laws and regulations. The President and CEO will conduct timely performance evaluations of Directors and administrative team, as well as ensure that Directors do the same with their staff teams.

The President and CEO will work in collaboration with the Director of Congregations and Community Partnerships to ensure that the organization and its mission, programs, and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive manner to relevant stakeholders.

The next President and CEO of the Council will be a mission-driven leader with a passion for justice and for serving the Council’s clients.  They will be an authentic communicator and effective listener with a wide variety of audiences.  They will have a strong commitment to interfaith bridge building and will be conversant in faith-based work. 

A seasoned leader with many of the following skills, experience and attributes is sought:

 

This search is being conducted by TSNE in partnership with The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Interested candidates should submit materials via this application link provided on this posting.

 

Electronic submissions sent through this link are preferred. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential within TSNE and The Council search committee.

 

Candidates should include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of The Council. The search will remain open and applications will be accepted until the right candidate is identified.

 

The President and CEO is a full-time, year-round, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with relevant experience, within the framework of the organization’s annual operating budget, and in the approximate range of $125,000 - 140,000 annually. The Council offers a very competitive benefits package including health and dental insurance, generous paid time off, professional development, and a retirement plan with an employer contribution.