[URPE] ED job posting

[Germai Medhanie]

Center for a New American Dream
Executive Director

The Center for a New American Dream, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization seeks
an Executive Director for its Takoma Park, Maryland headquarters.

About the Organization
The Center for a New American Dream (New Dream) helps Americans consume
responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote
social justice.  It works with individuals, institutions, communities, and
businesses to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of
our culture, and promote positive changes in the ways goods are produced and
consumed.

The traditional American dream of opportunity, progress, and freedom speaks
to the hearts of most people.  Yet the recent “more is better” definition of
the dream has many hidden costs.  The environmental impact of skyrocketing
consumption, especially when paired with population growth, is immense. At
the same time, our extraordinary preoccupation with consumerism is
undermining quality of life.  The “more is never enough” American Dream is
particularly troubling since nearly every other nation in the world is
emulating American consumption patterns.  We are unintentionally, though
rapidly, depleting the planet’s natural resources, degrading its renewable
support systems of water, soil, and air, and producing more waste than the
Earth and its atmosphere can absorb.  We’re also wearing ourselves out in
the race for more.

Since New Dream was founded eight years ago, it has reached an audience of
over 50 million Americans with nine major communications campaigns. It has
developed a network of nearly 3,000 responsible institutional purchasers
from the public and private sector that leverage hundreds of millions of
dollars to procure environmentally and socially superior products. This
network is currently being formalized into the Responsible Purchasing
Network.  New Dream’s online advocacy network of 80,000 activists works to
promote conscious living, wise buying, and changes in policies that will
help everyone have material security while consuming responsibly.  Most
recently, this network has concentrated on a Green Cars Today, Blue Skies
Tomorrow market based campaign.

About the Position
The Executive Director will be highly committed to New Dream’s unique
mission and personally embrace the values of sustainable living. S/he will
oversee the management of all programs and administrative systems. S/he will
work with a senior team to implement New Dream’s core programs, supervise
staff, fine tune and maintain state-of-the-art administrative systems and
manage consultants and interns. The Executive Director works with the
President and serves on many levels including:

§	Strategic leader and advocate for the mission of the organization;
§	Fundraiser with demonstrated ability to meet and energize donors and
foundations;
§	Visionary with adaptive leadership skills.  Must help the organization be
nimble and respond to new realities while staying firmly rooted in its core
mission and work;
§	Organizational manager overseeing a range of strategic, operational and
program issues - positioning the organization to constantly strengthen its
expertise and excellence;
§	Team builder, working with senior staff and board to provide strong
internal and external leadership.  Must track progress against objectives
and help foster a culture in which every staff member plays a vital role in
communicating the mission of organization;
§	Management and evaluation of senior program and administrative staff;
§	Working with senior staff to prepare and monitor an annual budget;
§	Support development of a strategic evaluation and assessment framework,
working with board and senior staff;

The Executive Director will also play an important role in representing the
organization before the larger public, including speaking to donors,
reporters and experts in the field. The position requires the following
qualifications:
§	Demonstrated success at management and leadership in the nonprofit sector;
§	Demonstrated success as a fundraiser;
§	Experience in program development, evaluation and organizational
development;
§	Enthusiasm about New Dream’s mission and objectives;
§	Familiarity with public policy, communications, and/or market-based
campaigns, especially campaigns that integrate media, advocacy and
organizing;
§	Ability to communicate with diverse constituencies, including business,
religious, consumer and youth groups;
§	Excellent verbal and written communications skills;
§	Self-directed and deadline-oriented;
§	Ability to think holistically, strategically and collaboratively;
§	Outstanding interpersonal skills, sense of humor, humility and good
judgment;
§	Creative, highly organized and able to juggle.

Compensation
Compensation for the Executive Director includes a competitive base salary
and an excellent package of health and other employee benefits.  This
position includes a quality of life benefit and is based on a four-day work
week – something the entire organization subscribes to.

To Apply
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Executive
Director Search, Suite 900, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland
20912.  Applications will be considered immediately and on a rolling basis.
Apply before August 28, 2005.

________________________
If you know of someone who might be perfect for this position, please
encourage them to apply.  No phone calls, please.

Many thanks,
Betsy Taylor
President, New American Dream