Executive Director Position Announcement

The Michigan Humanities Council (www.michiganhumanities.org), has initiated a search for its fourth executive director in October 2010. The Council is a statewide organization providing leadership, resources, and financial support to engage all Michiganians in the challenges to mind and spirit found in humanities-based public programming. The Council was founded in 1974 as an independent, non-profit 501(c) 3 organization based in Lansing. It receives operating and programming support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the state of Michigan, foundations, businesses, and private donors. The Council is a member of the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

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The Opportunity
The Michigan Humanities Council is an unusual non-profit organization in Michigan – not only for its unique focus on promoting and supporting the humanities disciplines for the public good, but also for seeking to do so in every county across the state.

The Council’s mission is to connect people and communities by fostering and creating quality cultural programs involving the humanities disciplines. These areas of study and thought provide ways of thinking about what it is to be human – our diverse histories, values, ideas, words, and dreams. These disciplines play a vital role in shaping our communities by helping people understand the histories that connect us and the issues that divide us. In carrying out its mission, the Council encourages and supports through advocacy, fund raising, and community engagement, a variety of activities which bring humanities scholars and the public together to examine culture.

The Council’s vision is to be known as a unifying force throughout Michigan, whose programs help people connect with one another and to be engaged with the places where they live. It seeks to foster a greater understanding and engagement in the cultures, histories, and values which tell us who we were, are, and hope to be.

The Council awards grants for public humanities and cultural programs; conducts public humanities and cultural projects of statewide importance; initiates collaborations and partnerships to broaden and strengthen the organizational and institutional base for the humanities statewide; and provides the humanities with leadership and a public voice in Michigan.

In addition to its granting programs and services, the Council leads its own initiatives such as The Great Michigan Read and Prime Time Family Reading Time. Its goal is to grow these programs and offer new initiatives in the future. The Arts & Humanities Touring Program, a partnership with the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), provides grants to organizations that engage a performer or presenter from the Council’s Arts and Humanities Touring Directory for a public event. In addition, the Council partners with MCACA, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Library of Michigan, Michigan Youth Arts, and The Poetry Foundation to manage Michigan’s Poetry Out Loud program.

This wide range of public programs and granting opportunities provides important educational services to teachers, students, and the general public across the state. The person leading the Michigan Humanities Council plays a significant role as steward of these resources for the benefit of Michigan.

How the Council Defines the “Humanities”
The humanities are ways of thinking about what is human about our diverse histories, values, ideas, words, and dreams. They help to shape individuality and community, and thus pose fundamental questions about the past, present, and future. The humanities inspire us to ask who we are and what our lives should mean. They encourage us to place ourselves in the worldwide context of humankind and to understand commonalities and differences. The questions with which the humanities deal are found in all areas of study, but the humanities are most clearly identified with the following disciplines: comparative religion, ethics, philosophy, archaeology, classical and modern languages, linguistics, jurisprudence, history, literature, history and criticism of the arts, and those social sciences which employ historical or philosophical approaches such as cultural anthropology and geography, international relations, political science, or sociology.

About the Michigan Humanities Council
A 25-member Board of Directors governs the Council, six of which are appointed by Michigan’s governor. Board members serve for three-year staggered terms, and an executive committee provides regular oversight. The Board is responsible for setting policy, advocating for the humanities, fund raising, monitoring the budget, and ensuring the organization meets its objectives and legal and ethical obligations. Often, board members individually serve as volunteers who support projects and programs under the supervision of the Executive Director.

The Council employs five full-time and one part-time professionals who are responsible for the day-to-day activities under the leadership of the Executive Director. The staff provides leadership in grant making, fund raising, program planning and execution, implementing a public relations strategy and advocacy plan, and overseeing finances.

The Executive Director’s Position
The Executive Director of the Michigan Humanities Council is its strategic and operational leader with responsibility for ensuring that the organization continues to deliver on its mission and maintains its commitment to nurture, promote, and support the pursuit of and appreciation for the humanities throughout the state. In addition, he/she is the primary spokesperson, fundraiser and ambassador for the organization, articulating its value and contribution to Michigan for grantees, educators, donors, and the general public.

The Executive Director is responsible for the planning, program and finances of all Michigan Humanities Council operations, both those executed by staff and volunteers through the Council’s office as well as through its statewide programs and grant-funded organizations. The operations include grant invitation, review, and subsequent awards in support of grantee-managed public humanities and cultural programs; Council-generated programs of statewide importance; collaboration and partnerships that broaden and strengthen the organizational and institutional base for the humanities in Michigan; and activities that provide the field with leadership, providing the humanities with a public voice across the state. The Executive Director oversees the Council’s work and relationships with local libraries, community centers, cultural organizations, historical societies and museums, educational systems, and tribal governments throughout the Michigan. He/she will be guided by the Council’s strategic plan and will be responsible for managing daily operations on a full-time basis.

Executive Director Position Summary

Key Relationships

Reports to: Board of Directors

Direct reports: Grants Director, Development Director, Program Officer, Fiscal Officer, Public Relations Officer, Touring Program Administrator

Other key relationships: Elected Officials, Donors, Educators, Historians, Archivists, Libraries, Museums & Historical Societies, Colleges & University Faculty and Administration, Primary & Secondary Educators, Community & Business Leaders, Arts & Cultural Heritage Leaders

Major Responsibilities
•In collaboration with the Board of Directors and staff, develop, articulate, and implement a vision for the Council’s future and translate the vision into strategic concepts, tactical directions, and operating policies necessary to fulfill the Council’s mission. Provide the impetus as a leader who manages change to respond to changing circumstances and opportunities.
•Direct the operations of the Council and its major functions of granting and public programs, development, government relations, external relations, financial stewardship, and administration. Develop a culture of formative evaluation to assess needs and ongoing evaluation to measure effectiveness.
•Ensure that public programs exploring relevant humanities-based themes and ideas flourish and that public use of the Council and its resources continues to grow. Develop innovative solutions to evaluate, fund, and sustain the Council’s long term proprietary programs.
•Play a lead role in diversifying and increasing funding support for the Council; serve as the primary interface with NEH, federal and state government leaders; and develop strategies for cultivating and raising additional public and private funds.
•Serve as the organization’s key spokesperson, clearly articulating its mission and activities and ensuring that the Council accomplishments are conveyed to a wide audience of Michiganians throughout the state; foster and maintain a close working relationship with Michigan-focused scholars and historians, educators, county, local historical organizations, and other related institutions.
•Work closely with the board and its committees, providing updates, soliciting feedback, and engaging members in constructive dialogue; participate actively in discussions of board composition, continuity, terms of service, committee structure, and succession planning.
•Identify, recruit, develop, and retain a talented and accomplished staff to meet the evolving needs of the organization; lead the staff to feel empowered, motivated, and rewarded for achieving organizational objectives. Create a culture of collaboration and innovation that fosters change and creativity. Be a visible, accessible, and knowledgeable leader who is known and respected by grantees, supporters, and employees.
•Manage the financial resources of the Council responsibly, ethically, and effectively; ensure budgets are developed and managed to reflect institutional priorities and that sound financial policies and controls are in place; proactively and transparently communicate with the board and staff regarding financial issues.
•Lead the planning for and successful allocation of NEH funds, state appropriations, and project-focused grants, ensuring that staff is in place to meet the commitment made for use of and distribution of funds. Communicate effectively with donors, legislators, and congressional officials to ensure funding is available on an on-going basis and that the Council’s success stories are shared with supporters.

Ideal Experience
• Success in a leadership position in a complex nonprofit, academic, corporate, or
governmental institution where there are multiple and diverse constituencies and where financial support must be secured annually from multiple sources.
• Enthusiasm for and a commitment to fundraising, with measurable and successful results with funders representing a diversity of sources (e.g. government, foundations, individuals).
• Experience working with a mission-driven organization, either directly through employment or as a board member where leadership was demonstrated. Ability to articulate the mission and make a persuasive case for the public value of the humanities to garner both public and private financial support.
• Experience building partnerships among diverse stakeholders that resulted in
successful outcomes. Vision, creativity, and excitement about the possibilities
presented by the increasing diversity in Michigan.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise leadership and manage a well-educated staff within a public, nonprofit setting. Demonstrated mentorship of high-potential leaders.
• History of reporting to and working closely with a volunteer board that resulted in a strong partnership and successful organizational outcomes.
• Experience as an advocate and spokesperson that suggests the candidate will be comfortable as the welcoming public face of the Council, especially in utilizing the Internet and leveraging social media to make the humanities highly accessible to the public.
• An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree in one of the humanities disciplines would enhance the candidate’s qualifications.

Critical Competencies for Success

Strategic Leadership: As the Michigan Humanities Council grows and increases its impact, the Executive Director must create a compelling, intellectually exciting, and financially viable agenda to address the short- and long-term issues facing the Council by:
• Demonstrating an appreciation for the Council’s potential to further evolve as a valued local and statewide resource and forum for learning and civil public discourse.
• Exhibiting a willingness to change in response to external changes and internal
priorities.
• Assessing external dynamics and institutional strengths to develop a roadmap for the future which links financial realities to the Council’s mission and strategic plan.
• Inspiring institutional confidence and enthusiasm and appropriately balancing
consensus building with decisiveness.
• Taking the lead in planning for the recognition of key events and personalities that are important to Michigan’s history.
• Effectively leading people and organizations through growth and change that both honors the past and anticipates the future.

Profile Raising and Resource Development: In a resource-constrained environment, the Executive Director must have the ability to engage and connect external audiences with the institution and increase public and private support by:
• Serving as an advocate for the Council with elected officials to ensure the priorities and goals of the organization are well represented, understood, and eventually funded.
• Leading and directing aggressive and effective solicitations and grant writing for individual, corporate, and foundation support.
• Articulating, in an inspiring way, the importance of the Council’s mission and the value of a direct, personal experience with the humanities.
• Generating excitement and engagement, elevating the institution in the minds of board members, patrons, and donors and leveraging that enthusiasm both verbally and through the written word to expand the financial base of support.

Vision and an Appreciation for the Significance of the Humanities: In times of constant change, the Executive Director must be willing to expand viewpoints about the state and envision how the people, institutions, and events of contemporary Michigan will be interpreted, preserved, and shared both now and in the future.
• The successful Executive Director will have demonstrated vision and creativity and a deep commitment to engaging the public in exploration of the enduring relevance of the humanities.
• Multiple and diverse constituents are known to “own” Michigan’s stories. The Executive Director must be able to discern their interests and make decisions about limited resources that reflect a keen understanding of the changes occurring both within Michigan and outside the state.
• The Executive Director must work with the Board of Directors and staff to ensure that the Council’s strategic assets and its rich network of relationships are not only nurtured, but shared appropriately through collaboration to leverage public access to Michigan’s rich humanities resources.
• The humanities are experienced from widely differing perspectives. The Council expects its Executive Director to present and encourage public programs that reflect the richness of the state’s diversity to a broad range of ages and levels of income.

Other Personal Characteristics
• Enough familiarity with Michigan and its resources, government, business and institutions to know what makes it distinctive, and a facility for quickly detecting its most pressing questions and identifying opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and unquestionable ethics.
• An open, visible, and approachable style.
• A strong commitment to diversity and gender equity.
• A healthy ego that needs neither authority nor affirmation to sustain itself.
• An open mind, excellent listening skills, a reconciliatory spirit, and a respect for paradox.

Compensation: Competitive salaried position with benefits, including a 401(k) plan, cafeteria plan to support health insurance, medical reimbursement, or dependent care reimbursement, sick leave, vacation time, and opportunities for professional development.

Evaluation: The Executive Director will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors. A written performance appraisal will be provided, and he/she will always be given an opportunity to address the board in a closed session on performance-related issues at the time of the annual review if requested.

Procedure for Applying: If the qualifications can be met, a substantive letter of interest directed to the Search Committee accompanied by a current résumé and five references with complete contact information should be sent electronically no later than Friday, November 12, 2010 to Timothy J. Chester, MHC Board Chair at: timothychester@comcast.net.