President & Chief Executive Officer

Position Specifications
Position: President & Chief Executive Officer
Company: The Florida Holocaust Museum
Location: Saint Petersburg, FL
Reporting Relationship: Board of Directors
Website:  https://www.thefhm.org/    

THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
The Florida Holocaust Museum (FHM) is one of the largest Holocaust museums in the United States with more than 19,000 artifacts in its collection. One of only three such museums accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The FHM boasts an outstanding collection of contemporary visual art as well as the largest Holocaust research library in the Southeastern United States. Its permanent exhibition highlights the artifacts, photographs, documents, and testimonies of Holocaust Survivors and Liberators who came to settle in Florida.

The Florida Holocaust Museum traces its origins to Tampa Bay area businessman and philanthropist Walter P. Loebenberg’s remarkable journey and vision. Loebenberg escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 and served in the United States Army during World War II. Together with a group of local businesspeople and community leaders, the concept of a living memorial to those who suffered and perished was born. The group enlisted the support of others in the community and were able to involve internationally renowned Holocaust scholars. Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler’s List, joined the FHM’s Board of Advisors, and Elie Wiesel became Honorary Chairman of this Holocaust Center.

In 1992, the Museum rented its first space—one that it would soon outgrow—on the grounds of the Jewish Community Center of Pinellas County, tucked away from the mainstream of Tampa Bay life. Starting with one staff member and a small group of dedicated volunteers, it quickly surpassed all expectations. As a result of this growth, in 1998, the Museum acquired a 27,000 square foot building in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The current location is home to the FHM’s permanent collection, the revolutionary Dimensions in Testimony exhibit, as well as numerous special exhibitions and its robust educational programs. FHM will soon kick-off a process to renovate and reimagine all 27,000 square feet of its physical space and over half of the required funds have been raised, pre-campaign.

About St. Petersburg And the Metropolitan Tampa Bay Region
With a metropolitan population of more than three million people across the Tampa Bay region, St. Petersburg hosts more than 270,000 residents and is among the top ten “Best Small American Cities.”  It is among the most affordable cities to live in in the United States and reflects the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community with the friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town.

St. Petersburg is developing rapidly. Five institutions of higher education currently call St. Petersburg home and provide programs of academic and intellectual enrichment for the community. There is a focus on wellness, sustainability, and the arts. The city and its environs are the epicentres of an economic boom.

The city is the arts hub of the Southeast of America with seven unique arts districts. The Florida Holocaust Museum anchors the Central Arts District along with the first permanent collection of the works of Dale Chihuly and The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Additionally, the world-class Dali Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the James Museum are within walking distance.

Home to the third largest downtown water park system, the water is part of everyday life, and the city is home to the largest network of cycling and pedestrian trails in the South. St. Petersburg is a place to make a home, with a cost-of-living below the national average.

Position Overview
The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for leading and managing the Museum, for its collections, programs, as well as engagement with stakeholders and the community in Tampa Bay as well as across Florida and beyond. The President and CEO maintains and elevates professional standards, stewardship of the Museum’s assets, and cultivates a professional and volunteer leadership team. The President and CEO leads the FHM in fulfilment of its mission and achievement of its vision.

Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will ensure the FHM has a long-range strategy and the necessary resources through a robust, personal involvement in the institutional advancement programs of the Museum to accomplish its mission. They will provide leadership in developing innovative programming, organizational alignment, and strategic financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff. Additionally, they will maintain a working knowledge of significant developments, trends, and resources in Holocaust remembrance and education, and aspire to be a thought-leader in the field.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Program Development and Management

• Oversee the development, planning, and execution of museum programs, exhibits, education, and outreach to the regional and state-wide constituents.
• Ensure that the museum operates according to the highest professional standards in all its core activities.
• Supervise collection management by regularly reviewing the permanent collection, overall focus, policies of acquisition, deaccession, and loans, condition of individual works, and adherence to professional standards in storage and registration, to assure the public of the highest quality permanent collection.
• Provide oversight to, and work collectively alongside, curatorial staff to develop the exhibition schedule, resulting in a diverse program of contemporary and historic exhibitions that will stimulate interest in the Holocaust and themes core to the Museum’s mission.
• Oversee the management of marketing, education programs, and audience development for the Museum.
• Provide oversight to the Director of Education and Research and the education staff to teach members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life to prevent future genocides, engage new audiences, and interest new benefactors.

Board Engagement and External Affairs

• Co-create the long-term vision and strategic priorities with the Board of Directors.
• Keep the Board fully informed as to the condition of the FHM and all environmental factors influencing it.
• Promote the public profile of the FHM and supervise the publicizing and marketing of the Museum’s mission, goals, and programs through personal community outreach and a disciplined multi-media communications strategy.
• Establish constructive and collaborative working relationships with other museums, community groups, and the Holocaust remembrance community.
• Represent the FHM to the executive and legislative branches of government, local government, and communities of interest in Tampa Bay.
• Represent the FHM at local, regional, and national arts and culture and Holocaust-focused associations and entities.

Staff and Operational Management

• Responsible for the recruitment, employment, supervision, and release of all personnel.
• Ensure the organizational structure is designed to optimize FHM’s goals and responsibilities.
• Oversee the development of job descriptions, conduct regular performance evaluations of the senior management team, ensure accountability amongst all levels of staff, and assure that sound human resource practices are in place.
• Provide ongoing opportunities for professional development for all staff and create individualized career paths.
• Further the development and implementation of sound financial practices.
• Collaborate with staff and the Board’s Finance Committee to develop an annual budget and ensure the FHM’s operations are aligned.
• Ensure enhanced volunteer engagement through education and skill development.
• Maintain a collegial, cooperative work environment which attracts, retains, and motivates a dedicated staff.
• Provide oversight to the Director of Operations to ensure organizational efficiencies and best in-class operations.

Revenue Generation

• Create and implement a plan for financial resource development, including increasing funding from corporate partnerships, grants, individual giving, planned giving, and other potential revenue sources, in cooperation with the development/advancement staff and the Board of Directors.
• Provide leadership to the continued diversification of revenue sources for the FHM.
• Engage the Board of Directors to fulfill its governance function and energize the Board to assist in the fundraising and advocacy efforts of the FHM.
• Provide oversight to the Director of Strategic Advancement and support new initiatives and opportunities to enhance overall fundraising for the FHM, including identification of new sources for individual, corporate, and public sector support.
• Further FHM’s commitment to cultivating a planned giving portfolio of donors.

Professional Experience/Qualifications
The President and CEO must be a passionate advocate for the FHM’s mission, as well as capable of working directly with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. The organization seeks a highly credible, proven, proactive, dynamic, and dedicated leader to provide innovative leadership.

Other desired qualifications and leadership characteristics include:

• Ten plus (10+) years of proven nonprofit leadership experience preferred. Candidates with extensive leadership experience across the private sector will also be considered.
• Demonstrated strategic creation and implementation experience. An ability to plan and execute in a team setting by building consensus among staff and a sense of community with volunteer leadership.
• A dedication to collaboration across staff and lay leadership.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written), including presentation skills.
• Ability to serve as an effective internal and external spokesperson, clearly communicating vision, key strategies and goals to media, senior leaders, and experts in both the communal and industry settings.
• Track record of creativity and innovation to help the FHM continue its tradition of approaching the Holocaust exhibitions and education in innovative ways to engage the broadest possible audience.
• Sound fiscal and business management skills including proficiency in developing budgets and the ability to evaluate major capital investments.
  Demonstrated track record of donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Demonstrated track record of small donor, corporate, and foundation fundraising.

Education
Master’s degree in Organizational Administration (MPA or MBA), Holocaust Studies, Museum Administration, History, Art, or related field preferred. Bachelor’s degree required.

Compensation
A competitive compensation package will be offered to the finalist candidate.

Apply
Please send your resume and cover letter to:
FHMPresidentandCEO@KornFerry.com

The Florida Holocaust Museum is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes expressions of interest and applications regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.