Executive Director/CEO

Ballinger | Leafblad is pleased to conduct the search for an Executive Director at WellShare International in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

In 1979, WellShare International began work in post-war Vietnam refugee camps, where Minnesotan clinicians cared for more than 80,000 people. As the mission and impact across continents expanded, WellShare transferred its expertise in implementing the community health worker model in international settings to serve underrepresented communities in Minnesota.

WellShare designs, implements, and evaluates community-based public health programs that focus on increasing access to healthcare, eliminating barriers to care and providing culturally tailored health education. WellShare leads programs promoting healthy living, reducing health disparities, and increasing cost-efficacy, all things that support a brighter future for our communities.

WellShare works with underserved communities in Minnesota and Africa to disrupt the cycle of generational poverty, disease, and trauma. WellShare has offices in Minneapolis and Mankato, Minnesota and currently serves 19 Minnesota counties and dozens of villages in the Bariadi district of Tanzania.

WellShare is the pioneer of the community health worker model in Minnesota. The community health worker model fosters local, sustainable solutions that address the root causes of health disparities and advance wellness for individuals, families, and communities. WellShare has become a go-to partner and service provider for many and is committed to expanding capacity to deliver life sustaining interventions to excluded and underserved communities.

Mission
To advance health equity through community defined solutions that are effective and affordable.

Vision
WellShare envisions a world where your zip code, your skin color, and your birthplace do not determine your access to quality healthcare, and where all people can achieve optimal health and wellness.

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
WellShare’s programs serve people across the lifespan – including pregnant people, infants, children, youth, adults, and the elderly.

WellShare embraces an integrated holistic programmatic approach across six impact areas: maternal and child health promotion, youth leadership and engagement, chronic and infectious disease prevention and management, mental health education and outreach, health system connections, and economic development. By addressing systemic barriers and social determinants of health, each program supports clients’ physical, mental, and financial fitness.

Maternal and Child Health Promotion
Employing a multigenerational, trauma-informed approach, the Community Health Workers bridge system gaps providing women education, health system navigation and socio-emotional support to achieve reproductive health and early childhood development milestones through home visits and peer community gatherings. In partnership with healthcare providers, the organization helps families access the right care at the right time and helps improve cultural understanding and effectiveness of clinicians in serving communities.

Youth Leadership and Engagement
Using the arts, health science and personal development practices, this award-winning program engages immigrant youth in ways that are often lacking in traditional school settings. Participants develop healthy lifestyles, leadership skills and social-emotional wellbeing, achieve academic success, and foster intergenerational relationships as they work to help transform the community around them. A strong sense of family and community connectedness is created, and program graduates often return as volunteers, mentors and staff. For many young people, this is one of the few safe spaces for them to explore their interests and develop their innate talents.

Mental Health Education and Outreach
WellShare delivers evidence-based mental health programming to reduce stigma, promote access to care pathways, and improve self-care management through culturally tailored group education. Services offer participants mindfulness tools to manage chronic stress, address trauma recovery and prevent mental health crises, within communities where mental health challenges are taboo and resources are low. Evidence-based models used include:

• Mental Health First Aid: acute mental health crisis intervention practices.
• Learning to Breathe: research-based curriculum to support emotion regulation and stress management skills.
• Living Life to the Full: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy practices to self-manage adverse events and resulting trauma.

Chronic and Infectious Disease Prevention and Management
WellShare partners with public health departments, clinics and health plans to provide culturally relevant services to prevent infectious and chronic diseases. WellShare promotes home, clinic-based and community wide preventative health practices. The program reduces the impact of such diseases as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and sexually transmitted disease through individual coaching, group evidence-based courses, as well as advocacy for environmental and systems change.

Health System Navigation and Transformation
As trusted messengers, Community Health Workers advocate for their clients and drive transformative change. WellShare partners with clinic systems, health plans, social service providers and government agencies to help people navigate complex social and health systems on their journey to health. In clinics, homes and community settings, WellShare helps people understand their rights to quality care and how to effectively use preventive health care services and the full range of their health and social service benefits.

Workforce and Economic Development
WellShare partners with clients and communities to create the financial stability required to build healthy, economically thriving communities. The organization does this through micro-enterprise and lending programs, social service navigation and through community health workforce development. Scholarships, training and mentoring build career pathways in community health.

WellShare’s programs in the Bariadi District of Tanzania integrate health education, economic self-sufficiency and social connectedness for mothers and their families.

POSITION PROFILE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Executive Director will support the WellShare mission, leading a diverse team to success in accordance with the strategic direction set by the Board. Responsibilities include serving as WellShare’s leader while fostering relationships and promoting collaboration with communities, donors and the Board. The Executive Director will hire and provide supervision and support for the Leadership Team and ensure compliance with all contracts. The Executive Director proactively identifies evolving organizational needs, capacities, and resources and develops strategies to improve and expand organizational capacity and maintain fiduciary responsibility in ways that align with organizational values. Effective relationship management is key to success in meeting internal and external partner needs across WellShare. This person will be expected to develop and maintain a high level of community engagement and possess exceptional cultural competency. 

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and serves as a member of the leadership team. WellShare currently has 36 staff and 12 contract workers. The Executive Director manages a budget of $3 million.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Vision and Strategy

• In collaboration with the Board, develop visionary strategic plan with significant input from staff and community.
• Identify, assess, and inform the Board of internal and external issues that affect the organization.
• Act as a professional advisor to the Board on all aspects of the organization's activities.
• Foster effective team work between the Board and the Executive Director and between the Executive Director and staff.
• In collaboration with the Chair of the Board, publicly represent WellShare.
• Lead organizational culture strategy and practices that balance quality service delivery with a desirable workplace environment.
• Meet a minimum of four times per year with the full Board to review programs, finances, and to discuss strategic issues.
• Serve on interagency community health task forces and boards.

Fundraising 

• Work with the Board to secure adequate funding for the operation of the organization.
• Create an annual Development Plan to ensure there are abundant resources for the effective operation of the organization and its programs, with a focus on building up unrestricted funding.
• Supervise fundraising staff and grant writing and marketing consultants.
• Participate actively on the Fundraising Committee.
• Work with the Program Managers to renew existing program grants.
• Oversee fundraising activities (review large grants, host key events, occasional grant writing, etc.).
• Position WellShare to embrace a philosophy of abundance vs. scarcity.

YIELD Grant
WellShare is delighted to have recently been a recipient of a generous YIELD grant, which along with the board and staff, will provide the new Executive Director with the opportunity to create a strategic vision for how this gift can best be leveraged to the benefit of WellShare’s mission.

Program and Operational Management

• Oversee the efficient and effective day-to-day operations of the organization.
• Ensure that personnel, client, donor, and volunteer files are securely stored and confidentiality is maintained.
• Ensure the programs and services offered by the organization align with the organization's mission and reflect community needs.
• Build effective Leadership Team culture and practices; directly supervise 4-6 senior staff.
• Oversee the planning, implementation and evaluation of the organization's programs and services.
• Monitor the outcomes of programs and services of the organization to maintain or improve quality.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage the risks to the organization.
• Ensure the Board and the organization carry appropriate and adequate insurance coverage.

Human Resources Planning and Management

• Determine staffing requirements for organizational management and program delivery.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the human resources policies and procedures.
• Establish a positive, healthy and safe work environment in accordance with all appropriate laws and regulations.
• Ensure all staff receive an orientation to the organization and that appropriate training is provided.
• Implement a performance management process for staff which includes monitoring staff performance on an on-going basis, conducting an annual performance review, providing raises as appropriate and releasing staff if necessary.
• Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance.

Financial Planning and Management 

• Work with controller and senior staff to prepare an annual organizational budget.
• Approve expenditures within the authority delegated by the Board.
• Ensure sound financial management practices are followed.
• Administer the funds of the organization according to the Board-approved budget.
• Monitor the monthly cash flow of the organization.
• Provide the Board with comprehensive, quarterly reports on the revenues and expenditure of the organization.
• Meet a minimum of four times per year with the Board Finance Committee to review financial statements.
• Ensure the organization completes an annual audit using an independent auditing firm.
• Ensure the organization complies with all laws covering taxation and withholding payments.

Community Relations/Advocacy

• Represent and speak on behalf of the organization at key community, academic, funder, and program events.
• Oversee development and implementation of organizational communication plan to promote the WellShare vision, services and achievements.

Establish good working relationships with community groups, funders, and organizations to achieve the goals of the organization.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive leadership experience with visible progressive growth, ideally with a health organization.
• Ability to raise significant unrestricted funding from major donors or foundations and make connections to funders and relationships management.
• Proven success managing a complex non-profit financial portfolio with diverse revenue streams.
• Strong team leadership and organizational development experience.
• Experience working with a nonprofit Board of Directors.
• Experience working with a culturally diverse staff and communities.
• Excellent and effective interpersonal communication skills, both written and oral.
• Proven ability to recruit and motivate senior staff.
• Self-starter with ability to work independently, meeting high professional standards.
• Experience managing third party payer claims revenue preferred.
• Knowledge of nonprofit leadership and management principles.
• Knowledge of state and federal nonprofit law including: employment standards, contract implementation, occupational health and safety, charities, taxation, health coverage etc.
• Familiarity with the cultural communities WellShare serves.
• Knowledge of human resources and financial management.
• A builder with an entrepreneurial approach to non-profit leadership.
• Ability to make difficult decisions in a complex and ever-changing environment.
• A true leader of people with a sense of curiosity. 

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS

Analytical and Critical Thinking. Skilled with investigating and summarizing qualitative and quantitative data, drawing useful and nuanced findings, and asking critical questions to refine conclusions.

Cultural Competence, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion. A commitment to the values and best practices that inform and influence the core purpose and values of the organization.

Teamwork. Comfort with and enthusiasm for working in a small team and contributing to the generation of new ideas while also maintaining an effective autonomous workflow.

Partnership Building. Enthusiasm for and ability to build and maintain strong interpersonal relationships and partnerships with outside organizations and individuals to inform and improve internal work-product.

Project Management. Demonstrated effectiveness in organizational and time management skills.

Program Evaluation. Solid experience with and understanding of program evaluation methods, including quantitative techniques.

Emotional Intelligence and Humility. Ability to acknowledge the achievements of others, to share credit, and to welcome feedback.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is $130,000-$160,000. Compensation includes participation in the comprehensive benefits plan.

TO APPLY
Inquiries may be directed to Holly Kelsey-Henry: holly@ballingerleafblad.com.

Applications will be accepted until March 14, 2025 or until the position has been filled, which may be earlier. There will be an immediate and ongoing review of candidates, so we encourage and appreciate early applications. All inquiries will remain confidential.

View complete profile:
https://www.ballingerleafblad.com/s/Executive-Search-Profile_WellShare-International-Executive-Director-1.pdf

WellShare International is actively looking for people with a broad background of lived experiences and identities. We are committed to hiring a staff that is representative of the communities we serve. If you believe you would succeed in this role and are not necessarily reflected in the description above, we encourage you to apply whatever your background, identities, lived experiences, or geography!