CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

ABCD - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

POSITION GUIDE

April 2024

https://www.abcdny.org/

POSITION                                           Chief Executive Officer

REPORTS TO                                     Board of Directors

LOCATION                                         Schenectady, NY

MISSION

The mission of Agri-Business Child Development (ABCD) is to support New York State agriculture by providing comprehensive early childhood education to the children of eligible families.

 GOALS

The basic goals of the ABCD Program are in keeping with Head Start Program Performance Standards. These goals include efforts to:

• Provide a safe environment for children during the hours in which their parents are employed through the use of appropriate facilities, equipment, and materials.
• Encourage the optimum development of each child through educational programs that seek to be meaningful to each child, that make objective observations and keep accurate records, and that stress perceptual-sensory development, motor development and coordination, language development including bilingual needs, socialization, development of a positive self-image and cultural awareness and awareness of community.
• Encourage optimum physical development through a health program that provides a Health/Nutrition Coordinator to care for child’s health needs in the center and to serve as outreach links to the child’s family, comprehensive physical examinations, services to children in the areas of dental care and emergency health needs, immunizations where appropriate and development of permanent health records.
• Encourage good nutrition through nutrition education programs, menu planning and development and on-site preparation and provision of wholesome meals and supplements to children in the center.
• Promote parent engagement in the program through parent education programs, parent nights and newsletters, home visits, inviting parents to engage in a variety of volunteer activities, employing parents, encouraging parents to serve on policy committees and acknowledging to parents that they are their children’s first and most important teachers.
• Encourage a positive community attitude toward the center and the families it serves through community involvement in center activities, including involvement in policy and health committees and reinforcement of the center’s contribution to the community’s social and economic well-being.

ABOUT AGRI-BUSINESS CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Agri-Business Child Development (ABCD), founded in 1946, is committed to providing the highest quality early childhood education and social services to farm workers and other eligible families across New York State. Children, 8 weeks old through school age, benefit from the culturally and linguistically diverse programming recognized nationally as a hallmark of Agri-Business Child Development.

As a provider of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, Head Start and Early Head Start, Agri-Business Child Development ensures that each child receives comprehensive educational, health, and social services. ABCD centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

ABCD provides services to approximately 1,250 children, depending on funding. Services are provided in thirteen (13) centers across New York State, primarily in areas of highest farm worker family concentrations.

Eligibility requirements for local agricultural workers, as well as the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program, include household income, employment status, and children’s ages. Eligibility requirements for the Head Start and Early Head Start programs include income and children’s ages.

Geographic Areas Served: Areas of highest income eligible farm worker family concentrations. Counties served include: Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Seneca, Ulster, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, as well as portions of Columbia, Dutchess and Greene.

SERVICES

Family Services & Community Partnerships

ABCD centers offer social services and family engagement opportunities to all qualifying families.

Family Engagement: Parents, the most important influence on a child’s development, play an essential role in planning and decision making for the program. Parent involvement is highly regarded as key to a child’s success.

Community Partnerships: collaborations with community organizations enable families to connect with available resources and support services.

Physical Wellbeing

ABCD centers offer developmentally appropriate health and nutrition services to all qualifying children.

Health Services: every enrolled child receives age-appropriate physicals and screenings. Children and families are linked with community resources to ensure access to continuous affordable health care.

Nutrition Services: prepared onsite, meals (breakfast, lunch, and a snack) are carefully planned with a qualified nutrition consultant to assist children in meeting their nutritional needs, developing healthy eating habits and broadening food experiences.

Kindergarten Readiness

ABCD centers offer high quality bilingual education services in preparation for Kindergarten to all qualifying children.

Education Services: culturally and linguistically appropriate classrooms provide a secure learning environment where children learn the skills necessary to succeed in school, society and life. Areas of focus include language development, literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts, social and emotional development, individualization, physical health and development, problem solving, reasoning and initiative.

Services for Children with Disabilities: with an emphasis on the partnership between families, center staff, and early intervention professionals, strategies are developed to provide individualized services that meet the unique needs of children with disabilities.

The Opportunity

With a wide range of services to support children and their families and a passionate staff dedicated to serving children, ABCD is a nationally recognized provider of early childhood education and social services to farm worker and other eligible families across New York State. The Chief Executive Officer of ABCD will have the opportunity to build upon this success and a strong foundation in order to continue developing programs to meet the needs of the community it serves.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for the overall leadership and management of ABCD including strategic direction, finances, fundraising, programs, staff, and external relations with funders, legislators, and others. The CEO is charged with achieving the mission and goals of ABCD in a manner that is fiscally sound and reflects best practices in nonprofit management.

CANDIDATE SUMMARY

With a solid financial base, comprehensive services for children and their families, and a national reputation for excellence, ABCD is in a firm position as it seeks to build upon its success serving children of farm workers and other eligible families across New York State. The ideal candidate is a proven leader who understands the power of collaboration, approaches their work through the lens of service, and has extensive experience and success creating and leading high performing teams that foster an inclusive culture of excellence.

A bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university is required; an advanced degree is strongly preferred. The candidate must have a minimum of five to ten years of senior managerial experience leading a nonprofit organization. Background in nonprofit education, working with minority, immigrant, or low-income communities is preferred. Experience working in Head Start or child and family programming is a strong plus, as is experience with trauma informed care. Understanding of farming lifestyle would also be a bonus. Fluency in Spanish is a definite asset.

The skills and qualities we seek in the CEO of ABCD include:

 Commitment- First and foremost, the CEO of ABCD must have a passionate commitment to the mission of supporting the educational development and physical well-being of the children and families we serve.

Vision – ABCD seeks a leader who can work with the Board of Directors, the staff, and external stakeholders to develop a clear vision and strategic plan for the future of the organization. That strategic plan will build upon the existing services and relationships of ABCD to meet the changing needs of migrant and seasonal workers. The CEO will build, and work with, a network of service providers and external supporters to promote that vision and make it a reality.

Executive Leadership – The CEO will have the skills and competencies to provide oversight for the operational and financial management of a complex, multi-faceted organization. The individual must be a strategic thinker and problem solver who creates a team environment, solving problems through a healthy and intentional reliance on staff, and is committed to ongoing professional development.

Team Building and Mentoring – The CEO will hire, cultivate, develop, and inspire a cohesive, high-performing team of staff who embody organizational values of collaboration, trust, and respect for one another. The CEO will have the temperament and skills to continue the development of talented staff as well as a demonstrated ability to bring passion, vision, direction, business discipline, and inspiration to the organization. The successful candidate will be a good listener and open to dialogue and critical conversations that lead to shared success. A management approach that is accessible, collaborative, and empowering must be demonstrated and balanced by results-oriented accountability.

Financial and Contract Management – The CEO will have the financial expertise to effectively manage the organization’s budget, properly allocate resources, and forecast trends and changes. It is critical that the CEO have the skills to manage the complex finances of an organization with significant funding from state and federal contracts. Experience managing large state or federal contracts would be an asset.

Communication – The CEO will be a persuasive and authentic communicator who can build relationships with all people in ABCD’s sphere- from direct care staff and family members to state and national legislators. The candidate should have a keen understanding of their role as steward with extensive experience managing and overseeing long-term projects and initiatives. Passion for the mission, high integrity, sound judgment and decision-making skills are essential to success in this role. Experience in building, and partnering with, the governing board will be essential. This person will establish and maintain a climate of trust in all leadership and board-related matters and sustain a learning environment, encouraging active inquiry by the Board and staff in pursuit of organizational excellence.

Fundraising – The CEO will have strong experience in fundraising, be a proven fundraiser, and have the ability to put in place, and implement, a plan for building a strong fundraising base. This would include building and cultivating a network of relationships, and the acquisition of major gifts and grants from foundations, corporations, individuals, and the public sector at the local, state, or national levels.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion- The ideal candidate must have experience working with diverse communities and a record of commitment to diversity of thought throughout the organization.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The starting salary for this position is $180,000 and will be commensurate with experience.

ABCD offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to 11 paid holidays, generous Paid Time Off and group health and dental, as well as a retirement plan.

EQUAL STATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

It is the policy of ABCD to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. This policy relates to all phases of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, employment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, reduction of workforce and termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training, the use of all facilities and participation in all company-sponsored employee activities. Provisions in applicable laws providing for bona fide occupational qualifications, business necessity or age limitations will be adhered to by the company where appropriate.

All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to the Director of Human Resources @ jayme.perkins@abcdmail.org or reply to our link on Indeed below.