Labor and Community Job Opportunities, Opportunities

Community Housing Improvement Program Seeks President & CEO (Chico, CA)

CHIP is a nonprofit organization based in Chico, CA that provides healthy, sustainable, affordable housing to qualified residents in seven North Valley counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Tehama, Yuba, and Sutter. CHIP has built more than 1,800 single-family homes and over 750 rental housing units in their service area and is acknowledged as an innovator and leader in affordable housing issues in rural and urban areas.

CHIP assists low-income and rural disadvantaged residents, seniors and others who lack financial resources or knowledge to improve or provide adequately for their housing via the following major services:

  • Construction of mutual self-help (sweat equity) housing by securing the land, construction and permanent financing, and marketing to and qualifying borrowers
  • Construction of rental housing communities by securing the land and construction and permanent financing
  • Self-management of rental properties owned by CHIP or its subsidiary corporations
  • Management of affordable housing properties owned by other entities
  • Delivery of resident service programs focused on health, education, and community building either by CHIP, partner agencies, or volunteers

“Helping People Help Themselves” is CHIP’s motto.

About the Opportunity

CHIP has a solid history and the benefit of stable leadership at all levels of the organization. Its long term leader, Dave Ferrier, transitioned to a national consulting role after leading the organization for the last 25 years of his 35 year tenure and several directors have exceptionally long and successful tenures at CHIP. Many of CHIP’s 60 employees attribute their reason for staying to its overall great work environment.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a proven leader to build upon CHIP’s accomplishments and financial strength, and to take the organization to the next level.

Responsibilities and Major Areas of Accountability

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President & CEO will spearhead the planning, funding, and implementation of existing programs and new projects that continue to provide additional affordable housing to lower income homebuyers and renters in CHIP’s service area.

Leadership and Governance: With the Board of Directors, staff and stakeholders, develop and implement the mission, vision, culture and values for CHIP; provide support and direction to the Board and their committees in the areas of planning, policy-making, oversight; ensure that adequate strategic and business plans are developed, implemented and reviewed against performance.

Advocacy and Promotion: Lead advocacy efforts at the local, state and national level; actively participate in conferences and advocacy activities; create opportunities to spearhead mutually beneficial programs in the public sphere; actively participate in leadership of affiliate organizations focused on policy, funding sources and affordable housing issues.

Program Planning and Resources Development: Pursue opportunities for furthering the mission of CHIP, including grants, loans, equity, and real estate from current and future programs that support affordable housing resource development and promotion of the organization in the furtherance of CHIP’s mission.

Risk Management and Economic Management: Ensure that liability exposures are identified and treated when proposing new programs and services; evaluate and monitor established programs and services to identify areas which need revision due to changes in operation, legislation, policies and procedures.

Professional Experience/Qualifications

Experience as an executive in an affordable housing nonprofit

  • At least ten years of progressively responsible management experience in a complex nonprofit focused on affordable housing
  • Track record of working successfully with local/state/federal governments and private lenders
  • Knowledge of nonprofit Board of Directors governance practices through nonprofit board service and/or reporting to a board
  • Demonstrated ability to pursue outcome-oriented, mutually-beneficial partnerships with a diverse set of stakeholders for the purpose of promoting CHIP’s mission

Real Estate Development experience

  • Minimum of ten years of experience in affordable housing development
  • Deep understanding of compliance issues
  • Experience in, or a solid understanding of, developing single or multi-family housing projects
  • Experience in, or a strong understanding of, single family and multi-family funding
  • Experience overseeing, or a solid understanding of, affordable housing property management operations

Experience forging alliances and resource development

  • Ability to identify and assess opportunities for diverse types of acquisition and development of properties, new construction and/or rehabilitation projects
  • Affinity for forging new relationships and/or developing goal-oriented coalitions
  • Track record of developing and maintaining effective relationships with public partners, business leaders, and community groups
  • Ability to work with political leaders individually or in groups to achieve advocacy objectives that benefit affordable housing
  • Experience with building fund development relationships-not afraid to ask for private funding

Financial and Operations Management

  • Fiscal accountability; proven track record of managing complex budgets of at least $3M
  • Experience applying for, negotiating, and securing grants in the affordable housing arena
  • Track record of maximizing both earned and contributed revenue streams
  • Strong organizational skills and a business orientation that leverages and maximizes resources
  • Knowledge of appropriate systems

Desirable personality characteristics

  • Open door policy, people person
  • Excellent, across-the-board communication skills
  • Ability to take risks, entrepreneurial
  • Patience, sense of humor, and level-headed
  • Inclination towards inclusive decision making
  • Accountable to all stakeholders, the board and staff
  • Ability to create and maintain a cohesive work culture in a geographically disbursed organization

Other

  • Willingness to relocate to the Chico, CA area and to travel 30% in the position

Education

  • Required: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Urban Planning, Real Estate Development, Architecture or other relevant field
  • Master’s degree preferred

Compensation

A highly competitive compensation and benefits package will be made available to the qualified candidate.

To Apply

Leadership Search Partners is conducting this search on an exclusive basis on behalf of the CHIP. Interested persons should apply via email by sending a letter outlining qualifications, brief bio and resume as PDF or Word documents to Stacey Konner (Stacey@leadershipsearch.com), with CHIP-CEO in the subject line.

Inquiries may be made, in confidence, to Senior Search Consultant Heather Merriam at heather@leadershipsearch.com.

CHIP is an Equal Opportunity Employer

LEADERSHIP SEARCH PARTNERS, a search firm owned by Brakeley Briscoe Inc., is focused exclusively on the nonprofit sector. Based in in the San Francisco Bay Area, the firm works with local, national, and international nonprofits to help them hire exceptional senior-level leaders. www.leadershipsearch.com.