President/CEO
President/CEO
First Things First
Chattanooga, TN
First Things First is a highly respected nonprofit organization committed to strengthening family and interpersonal relationships to help people live better lives. Founded in 1997 and based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the organization served more than 23,000 people face-to-face locally in 2019 (pre-Covid), and 5.4 million people nationally and internationally through our digital content and partnerships with synergistic organizations in 2020. First Things First (FTF) exists to help marriages and families start and stay strong by providing accessible resources that guide people in their relationships. This is accomplished through innovative in-person learning experiences, creative broadcast and streaming video content, and compelling digital and print resources. By equipping people with practical and effective tools, FTF supports its vision for healthy relationship skills to be passed down from generation to generation.
POSITION:
The President/CEO of First Things First is charged by the Board of Directors to positively and significantly impact individuals, marriages, families, and communities around the world through the work of the organization. The President/CEO should be recognized and respected as leading one of the nation’s most effective resources for relationship skill development. This role is responsible for overall creation and management of extensive programming, community and philanthropic relations, financial stability, staffing, and operations. The President/CEO is the visionary leader entrusted with the growth, sustainability, and curated culture of this well-respected, highly impactful entity.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
- Leads with a clearly articulated vision and measurable goals
- Communicates compellingly with internal and external audiences, including, but not limited to:
- staff, constituents, community, news media, industry leaders, partnering organizations, government, donors, and board of directors
- Develops and maintains talented, productive teams of staff and volunteers
- Solves problems with empathy and compassion for others
- Engages diverse and multi-generational partners for development and fundraising purposes
- Navigates effectively the fiscal complexities of an innovative nonprofit
- Maximizes the power of traditional and digital media
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead strategic, research-based initiatives to create, produce, and distribute cutting-edge content relevant to local, national and international audiences
- Participate as an active community and civic leader in Chattanooga to further meaningful relationships and opportunities
- Engage with national organizations and synergistic partners to further the impact of FTF
- Demonstrate high level of sensitivity and cultural awareness to continue and enhance FTF’s strong track record of welcoming and working effectively with diverse groups by instilling trust, understanding, and inclusivity both inside and outside the organization
- Create short and long-term strategic plans, define incremental deliverables, and establish accountability for implementation
- Advance and preserve the financial stability of FTF.
- Lead and oversee grant applications and funding opportunities with foundations, corporations, and donors
- Energize future capital campaigns by building new relationships
- Inspire and engage an internal team that works collaboratively to ensure FTF is the go-to resource for building healthy relationships
- Empower the FTF team to create innovative and compelling content, including, but not limited to: in-person and digital events, online education, video, e-books, articles, etc. to enable learning, support comprehension, and provide skills that produce behavioral change
- Serve as the “face” and primary spokesperson for FTF with civic and governmental leaders and organizations, community members, news media, faith-based organizations, school systems, and more.
ATTRIBUTES:
- Embodies professionally and personally the integrity, purpose, mission, vision, and values of First Things First
- Pursues excellence and presents research-based, compelling and accurate content and data at all times.
- A proven successful, influential, and engaging leader
- Leads with transparency and accountability
- Open to exploring entrepreneurial ideas and envisioning new models to establish new mission-aligned, strategic opportunities to build the FTF learner base, revenue, and partnerships
- A strategic thinker with the ability to utilize statistics, media, technology, research, and trends to better FTF programming
- Not afraid to take appropriate action to address wide-spread public needs
- A believer in passionate, empathic, servant leadership and feels rewarded by helping others grow
- An effective communicator and listener, who is receptive and respectful in all situations
- An advocate of learning, growing, and helping others
- Organized, efficient, dependable, responsible, and collaborative
- An excellent speaker, both in-person and on-camera, and writes with clarity
- Proactive in researching new resources and ways to serve FTF community members
- Able to lead teams in the development of content and programming strategy for print, blogs, apps, online learning, social and digital media, and virtual presentations
CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s Degree preferred) from an Accredited College
- Five or more years of leadership in the nonprofit or other closely related field
- Legal permission to work within the United States of America
- Ability to join the FTF Team in Chattanooga, Tennessee
APPLY FOR THIS POSITION: Please send cover letter and resume to Kirk Stehr at kstehr@graincraft.com.