Nationwide leadership in integrated and innovative business practices that sustain high-quality public media

President & Chief Executive Officer Search conducted by Development Resources, inc. www.driconsulting.com

The Mission Greater Public provides nationwide leadership in the development of innovative business practices that help local communities sustain high-quality public media. Greater Public started life in the 1970s as the Development Exchange, with a mission to provide training services to public radio fundraisers. Under the leadership of President & CEO Doug Eichten, it has turned into one of the most highly respected public media organizations in the U.S., a membership organization with more than 250 members and the convener of the largest annual public media gathering in the country. As a key voice in public media, Greater Public is poised to play a leading role in fostering the sector’s creative response to rapid industry changes—including threats to federal funding, the sale of university radio stations, and shifts in demographic media usage patterns. Working at the crossroads of media management, communications, fundraising, and marketing, the next President & CEO will evaluate Greater Public’s current programs and develop a plan to competitively position both the organization and the public media that has come to depend on it. Some of Greater Public’s current programs include:

PUBLIC MEDIA DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING CONFERENCE (PMDMC)

Greater Public’s signature event has broken attendance records every year. In 2016, more than 1250 professionals attended the PMDMC, where they had access to dozens of breakout sessions, keynote speakers from in and outside public media, deep-dive workshops on such issues as membership drives and underwriting sales techniques, and the opportunity to network with professionals across the industry.

DIGITAL MEMBER RESOURCES & CUSTOMIZED CONSULTING

Greater Public creates and curates a virtual bank of cutting-edge resources—including evaluative benchmarks, training webinars, and specially commissioned reports—that help member stations grow audiences and engagement, membership, corporate support, and major and planned giving. In addition to public resources, Greater Public advisors and staff offer on-site, in-depth consultations on major and planned giving, corporate support, and donor research to public media organizations.

DIRECT MAIL CO-OPS AND COLLABORATIVES

Greater Public’s member stations can participate in “group buys” of direct mail lists that avoid minimum purchase requirements and achieve savings. More than 90 stations also participate in direct mail collaboratives, which provide proven copy and production services for acquisition, lapsed, additional gift, and other DM campaigns.

INDUSTRY CITIZENSHIP

Greater Public enables public media professionals to network in a variety of ways. It hosts an industry Job Board and administers at no charge the Colleagues Helping Colleagues (CHC) Fund, established in 2005 for people working in public media to directly assist colleagues who suffer losses in natural disasters.

The Culture Greater Public has a more than 40-year history of delivering exceptional client services within the public media sector. Its reputation, record of growth, and responsible management have created a highly respected and financially sound organization that is uniquely positioned to lead the industry in meeting emerging challenges. Greater Public’s Board is committed to using its power to convene, curate, and train to develop innovative new business models that allow public media to reach new audiences in an age of rapidly evolving technologies and programming vehicles.

REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE Greater Public's annual meeting and member resources set and meet a high bar for client services. Since the 1990s, Greater Public has fielded a roster of advisors in all areas of revenue generation including memberships, corporate support, and major and planned giving. Its resources have helped stations like KEDM in Monroe, Louisiana, which recently worked with Greater Public to raise an incremental $25,000 in membership dollars when its affiliate university planned to cease station funding. The station also credits Greater Public's support with a 58% increase in gross revenue over the past five years.

COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION Greater Public’s Board, a diverse group of knowledgeable leaders and an active resource for the President and CEO, has made a strong commitment to the development of entrepreneurial business models for both Greater Public and the media organizations that it serves. Recently, Greater Public has expanded the scope of PMDMC to include radio and public television; issued a key report on the pursuit of digital revenue and digital sponsorship; and has convened professionals to consider how existing business models should adapt to podcasting and other forms of new media.

MISSION-FOCUSED STAFF Staff at Greater Public are highly mission-focused. They believe in the meaningful work public media delivers and derive satisfaction from giving public media fundraisers the tools they need to support stations and move their careers forward. Greater Public is built on a single promise of service, and staff go out of their way to delight members, bend the rules for them, understand and empathize with their struggles, and gently coax them to new heights. As a virtual company, accountability and leadership is expected of everyone on the Greater Public team. Initiative, independence, kindness, and a bias toward getting things done are core values among this group of self-motivated high performers.

The Opportunity Greater Public is seeking a President & Chief Executive Officer who will lead the organization to play a key role in the evolution of innovative financial models for philanthropically supported media. The President & CEO will set a Board-endorsed vision that competitively positions Greater Public in an evolving public media system and bolsters that system’s finances for long-term success. Under the President & CEO’s leadership, Greater Public will move decisively to maintain its role as a pioneer and an innovator in a time of technological and regulatory change and will develop a 21st-century business model aligned with the most critical needs of 21st-century public media organizations.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT •  • 

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Understand and become an authoritative voice on Greater Public’s mission and on the history, values, and culture of public media. Serve as an expert guide to the Board of Directors, articulating key industry and competitive trends affecting public media and working to guarantee the urgency and relevance of Greater Public’s vision, mission, and programs. Identify, develop, and implement new business models and business opportunities that reflect and advance Greater Public’s mission. Articulate and advocate imaginative philanthropic models that cultivate a wide range of donors to public media organizations based on both traditional and new media. Lead Greater Public’s Senior Management team in the establishment of goals and strategies.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS •  •  •  • 

Develop relationships with leaders in the nationwide public media community and represent Greater Public as its chief executive officer and spokesperson. Work with the PMDMC staff to ensure the annual conference’s success, including the timely completion of facilities planning, staff coordination, programming, and effective financial reporting. Design and foster mutually beneficial partnerships with major participants in the public media sector. Actively seek opportunities for Greater Public’s services to be employed for the enhancement and ultimate good of public media.

OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT

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Maintain effective communication with the Board regarding all developments in operations, providing complete and timely information relevant to issues and decisions. Act as Greater Public’s official agent in all contractual and financial matters pertaining to its operations, including oversight of staff, strategic partnerships, Board-generated projects, membership, and operational budgets. Work with the Chief Financial Officer to develop budgets and financial plans for review and approval by the Board of Directors. Develop recommendations for a staffing model aligned with Greater Public’s direction and strategies. Identify, hire, and retain highly qualified individuals to serve Greater Public and its member stations. Guide the development and implementation of all organizational policies.

Search conducted by Development Resources, inc. www.driconsulting.com

The Candidate The President & CEO of Greater Public will be a visionary, entrepreneurial, and charismatic leader capable of articulating a compelling vision and of enlisting partners in its achievement. S/he will be a convincing authority on organizational development, revenue generation, and fundraising models, and will have a clear understanding of and appreciation for the public media mission. S/he will combine this understanding with the data-driven analytical skills necessary to recognize new business opportunities and understand how to capitalize on them. A passionate and motivational communicator, the President & CEO will be able to gain respect and influence and use them to shape both an organization and an industry.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS • 

At least 7 - 10 years of demonstrated growth in a management role, including 2 – 3 years of administrative experience in at least 2 of the following areas: fundraising, business development, program development, strategic planning, and event planning and coordination.

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Record of successful partnership with a Board of Directors, preferably in a non-profit organization.

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Experience building successful nationwide enterprises and developing new products.

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Successful track record in a diverse array of revenue generation and fundraising initiatives, such as licensing, direct mail, major/planned giving, corporate support, and government/foundation grants.

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Familiarity with public media best practices, including general and financial management and knowledge of emerging digital media.

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Demonstrated experience establishing data-driven thought leadership and influencing an industry. Experience building and leading a high-performing team that has achieved success and continuous growth; experience leading an organization with key staff working part-time or remotely is desirable.

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Bachelor’s degree is required; graduate studies or other advanced training is preferred.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND WORK STYLE • 

Commitment to the achievement of organizational excellence through strategic planning and implementation.

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Evidence of a future-focused entrepreneurial mindset, with a tolerance for risk and an ability to anticipate emerging opportunities and adapt them within a mission-based organization.

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Charismatic communication style and an energetic, passionate demeanor.

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Diplomacy and political sensitivity needed to forge and deepen collaborative partnerships.

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Credibility as a knowledgeable and collaborative representative to national content providers and local public media organizations.

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Highly organized work style, including the ability to work independently, multi-task, and be resourceful.

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Ability to travel on a regular and frequent basis is required.

Search conducted by Development Resources, inc. www.driconsulting.com

President & Chief Executive Officer

Questions, résumés, and CVs should be sent to [email protected]

All first-round interviews for this position will take place at Development Resources, inc. at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 702, Arlington, VA 22209, (703) 294-6684, or via telephone/video conference. Greater Public is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is seeking a diverse slate of qualified candidates for formal consideration.

Search conducted by Development Resources, inc. www.driconsulting.com