Ballinger|Leafblad is proud to present the following information on behalf of our client, Saint

Paul Area Council of Churches (Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul) and a retained search for
the Executive Director.

Presents.
Executive Director

www.spacc.org

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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

PRESENTING OUR CLIENTSAINT PAUL AREA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
The Saint Paul Area Council of Churches (the Council) is a service organization that has
served greater Saint Paul for more than 100 years. The Council is governed by a 26-member
board of directors elected by delegates of member congregations. The Council represents a
large number of East Metro area congregations from more than 25 faith traditions.
PROGRAM AREAS
The Saint Paul Area Council of Churches provides a variety of programs to meet the needs of
the greater Saint Paul community. Current programs include:
1) The Department of Indian Work provides emergency assistance to American Indians
living, but not thriving, in the community. Food, clothing, referral assistance,
Culturally Specific after school enrichment programs for American Indian youth, and
Diabetes education/prevention are among the provided services.
2) Project Home provides emergency shelter for up to 40 homeless individuals 365
days/year. Two shelter sites are rotated monthly to different churches, schools or
synagogues.
3) Project SPIRIT provides culturally-specific, after-school enrichment programs for
African American children at four public schools in Saint Paul.
4) Interfaith Youth Leadership Coalition provides leadership training and opportunities
for dialogue and service learning among youth from a variety of faith traditions.
5) The Farm/Faith Initiative provides community gardening opportunities for Hmong
immigrants in conjunction with several member faith communities who have
available land on their grounds.
An affiliated group, the Saint Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN) is an informal, all-volunteer
organization hosted by the Council and seeking to build relationships and understanding
between people of all faith traditions.
The Council has a long tradition of bringing people together. Each year, the organization
recognizes and sponsors a number of events designed to encourage shared experiences
between diverse individuals and groups. Events such as MLK Holiday Breakfast, Interfaith
Youth Day of Service, Caritas Concert, Golf Tournament of the Saints, Annual Assembly and
many others have made up this part of the Councils outreach.
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Executive Director

Events and volunteer opportunities from other faith-based organizations are promoted and
shared by the Council.
MISSION AND VISION
The Councils mission is: We unite the people, resources, and voice of the faith community to
build a more just, safe, and livable East Metro for all.
The Council works towards fulfilling its mission based on this Vision: People of faith will
relieve the effects of poverty and address its causes through the transformative work of
thousands of volunteers.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
This mission and vision were confirmed in the Councils recently-completed Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan also describes a future where it will have a more committed interfaith
focus to its work, and where the values of service and advocacy will be primary.
As a follow-up to this plan, in October 2014 the Board of Directors voted to rename the
Council to be Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul. The new name will become
effective in early 2015.
The new name is meant to reflect 1) The importance of welcoming all faith communities in to
support the organizations work; 2) To place an even greater emphasis in our public branding
on service and community impact; and 3) To reaffirm the organizations geographical focus on
the Saint Paul metropolitan area. The board and staff are very excited about this change and
the enhancement it will make for the organizations brand.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
The staff of the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches is a diverse, dedicated and caring group
of individuals. Recently, staff members were asked to describe the organizational culture at
the Council. They portrayed the culture as:

Welcoming; accepting of all ideas and people

Passionate; mission-driven
Supportive; helpful
Evolving
Spirituality in all forms is honored and valued
Multi-programmatic; working to collaborate between programs

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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

PRESENTING THE POSITION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is the chief executive officer of
the Council and is responsible for organizational leadership, strategy development and
implementation and overall management of the programs, fiscal stewardship, fundraising,
and the staff of 20 FTE. The Executive Director works closely with the Councils Board, chairs
of Board committees and task forces, and the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches
Foundation Board. The work of the Council is conducted through faith communities; the
Executive Director maintains and grows relations with area congregations.
The Executive Director also is responsible for leadership in all relationships with key external
stakeholders, including individual donors, foundations, congregations, volunteers and
clients served. The Executive Director is a strong promoter of diversity and inclusion; a
majority of the Councils staff represent diverse communities.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director are the Development Director, Operations Director,
Project SPIRIT Director, Department of Indian Work Director and Project Home Director.
THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE:
Organizational Leadership
Strategic Planning
Fundraising and Financial Development
Relationship Management with External Stakeholders
Program Planning and Management
Relationship Management with Congregations/Faith Communities
External Communications
Staff Leadership and Development
Financial Planning and Management
Board and Committee Communications and Relations
Community Relations
Public Relations and Collaborative Community Planning
Ethical Leadership and Compliance Oversight
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
The fully qualified candidate will possess at least 10 years of related leadership experience
with a non-profit service organization, faith-based organization or denomination, although
comparable leadership experience in other sectors will also be considered. Additionally,
demonstrated experience with issues of diversity and inclusion related to persons of other
racial, cultural, religious, gender and sexual orientation backgrounds and the ability to
develop productive and collegial relationships with various stakeholders and constituencies
is key.
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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

Experience as a member of the clergy or lay leadership in a community of faith is preferred

but not required. However, candidates should have a committed relationship with a faith
tradition and faith community. An understanding of the issues and problems facing Saint
Paul and the East Metro area, or comparable urban regions would be beneficial.
A bachelors degree is required and an advanced degree in divinity, social sciences,
leadership or non-profit management is preferred.
The successful candidate will be a visionary servant-leader and advocate, with proven
managerial and leadership skills. The Executive Director will inspire others and will enhance
and grow relationships with communities of faith, donors, volunteers, the clients served,
and local civic leaders. He or she will represent the organization and the broader religious
community to various external constituencies.
The Executive Director candidate should possess a demonstrated passion and call to address
issues of justice and advocacy in a broken world.
Other qualifications include:
People Leadership- Experience managing and developing people, building collaborative
teams and unifying internal and external players around a shared purpose.
External Leadership Proven experience as an external relationship leader representing an
organization to various external constituencies and in promoting external partnerships.
Respond, formally and informally, as a representative of the broader faith community, in the
public arena.
Funds Development Successful experience in leading non-profit fundraising activities.
Faith Community Connection Active, committed involvement with a faith-based
organization; connection to ecumenical and inter-faith activities is desired.
Diversity Experience in addressing racial, ethnic and religious diversity with a commitment
to dismantling racism in the community.
Strategy Capable strategic leadership skills in developing organizational strategies,
collaborating with high level stakeholders, and implementation.
Financial Management- Experience overseeing financial reporting and budgets. Experience
understanding grant compliance and management.

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Executive Director

Operational Management Successful experience leading, developing, and growing the

programs and operations of a complex and diverse social service organization.
Public EngagementDemonstrated ability or skill to share a heartfelt public narrative that
engages the spiritual and faithful commitments of communities of faith.
Nonprofit Board Experience Experience reporting to or serving on a volunteer board.
Specific Skills Working knowledge of the functioning of faith-based organizations, social
service organizations and related partner organizations in the east metro.

Leadership Capabilities -Passion for the mission of service to others and social justice
Commitment to diversity in all forms
Ability to build positive work teams
Skills and commitment to staff growth and development
Positive and inspirational; strategic and visionary
Empathic and kind; understanding and inclusive
Flexible and adaptable
Excellent judgment and decision making skills
Strong public presence and public speaking abilities

PRESENTING THE TWIN CITIES OF MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are a unique blend of small town and major
cosmopolitan hub. Both urban cores boast a thriving business atmosphere. Minneapolis is
the larger and more commercial of the two cities, and Saint Paul, as the state capital, is
home to state government and has a more historical vibe. Outside of the central
downtowns, however, both cities have many distinct neighborhoods, and residents identify
more with their individual neighborhood than with the larger city as a whole.

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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

Both cities share a common root of being river towns, and the outdoors is still a major
attraction for residents and tourists alike to this day. In addition to the mighty Mississippi
River, there are more than 100 lakes (over 900 including the suburbs), over 250 parks, and
miles of biking and walking trails. Nearly every weekend in the summer there are several
outdoor active events for participants and spectators--triathlons, biking races, running races,
boat races, water skiing competitions, golf tournaments, and more.
The active lifestyle of Twin Cities residents doesn't lie dormant during the winter. There are
miles of cross-country skiing trails, several downhill ski areas within an hour drive, ice
skating, snowmobile riding, sledding, and--of course--ice fishing.

For those who prefer activity of the spectator variety, the Twin Cities are home to the major
sports teams: Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota
Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota United FC (soccer), and Minnesota Swarm
(lacrosse). There is also a minor league baseball team, the Saint Paul Saints. The Twin Cities
have hosted the World Series, Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball Finals, the USGA U. S. Open, the
PGA Championship, and the Special Olympics. In 2014, Target Field was the setting for
baseball's All-Star Game. In 2016, the beautiful Hazeltine Golf Course will host the Ryder
Cup, and in 2018, the Super Bowl will be played in a newly built state-of-the-art stadium.

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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

But the Twin Cities have more to offer than participatory and spectator sporting events.
There are countless arts and culture offerings here. The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota
Orchestra has a reputation as one of the top orchestras in the world. The Saint Paul
Chamber Orchestra is regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. Since
the early 1960s, the Guthrie Theatre has staged A-plus shows from the classical to the
contemporary. Popular national shows and performers also tour through the Twin Cities
year round at stages in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and at the University. There are
over 30 theatre venues, 10 dance companies, and 30 classical music groups in the cities of
Minneapolis and Saint Paul alone.
For the museumgoer, there are over 60 museums in the Twin Cities. The Science Museum of
Minnesota and the Minnesota Children's Museum (both in Saint Paul) are highly interactive
learning and fun experiences for the entire family. The Minnesota History Center is an
interactive museum for all ages with permanent and changing exhibits, lectures and events.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a collection of over 100,000 pieces. The Walker Art
Center has been called "possibly the best contemporary art museum in the U. S." by
Newsweek, and has over 11,000 pieces. The University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum
is also a contemporary art destination.
Beyond the outdoor, sports, entertainment, and culture, perhaps the biggest attraction for
the Twin Cities is the lifestyle. Forbes hailed Minneapolis and Saint Paul as the nation's
healthiest cities. USA Today named Saint Paul as North America's "Most Romantic City."
The Twin Cities offer award-winning restaurants (several chefs have been regional James
Beard Award winners). In addition to the popular Mall of America, there are plenty of unique
shopping districts in both cities and in the suburbs.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
The compensation package is competitive and includes participation in the organizations
comprehensive benefits plan.

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Saint Paul Area Council of Churches

Executive Director

BALLINGER|LEAFBLAD WELCOMES YOU CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Marcia Ballinger, PhD

Co-Founder
651-341-4840
marcia@ballingerleafblad.com

Lars Leafblad, MBA

Co-Founder
612-598-7547
lars@ballingerleafblad.com

Civic Search. Reimagined.

www.ballingerleafblad.com

Saint Paul Area Council of Churches is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

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