Campbell & Company In Hunt for Glacier National Park Leader
January 12, 2017 – Campbell & Company has been retained by The Glacier National Park Conservancy to find its next executive director. Senior consultant Kris McFeely is spearheading the search along with associate consultant Colleen Rogers. The organization is seeking a leader committed to making a difference at a fast growing philanthropic partner for one of America’s most iconic national parks.
The incoming leader will manage a high-performing staff and oversee day-to-day operations. The position requires that the chosen director will be highly entrepreneurial, an exceptional communicator, and versed in both the philanthropic and business arena at local and national levels. The organization is searching for someone who will drive growth and manage retail operations within Glacier National.
Fundraising Leader Sought
Data-driven and collaborative, the new leader will be expected to develop and implement a diversified fundraising program, playing a significant role in building a solid base of annual, major, and planned giving programs while continuing to grow the Conservancy’s retail operations and corporate partnerships.
Campbell & Company, a non-profit search specialist, is seeking an individual with at least 10 years of senior-level leadership experience with increasing responsibility in non-profit management and administration, or a comparable setting.
“The candidate we seek will be impactful at both a local and a national level, intrinsically motivated yet highly collaborative, and understand the power of partnership that is possible with a strong and energized board, a talented and hard charging staff, and supportive Park leadership,” said Morris A. Stein, chairman of the board at Glacier National Park Conservancy.
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“He or she will have the passion to navigate a highly entrepreneurial, business-driven environment, the creativity to embrace big ideas that can become reality, and respect for the rigor of the National Park Service.” While not critical, Mr. Stein said the incoming executive director will have a rooted Glacier story of their own and a personal connection to Glacier National.
The Glacier National Park Conservancy is dedicated to sustaining the beauty and spirit of Glacier National Park. Its mission supports critical projects aimed at preserving the Park’s history, exploring its present and securing its future. Through strong partnership with the Park, the Glacier Conservancy seeks to preserve unique visitor experiences by funding projects and programs that will sustain it for generations to come.
“The Glacier National Park Conservancy began four years ago upon the historic merger of the Glacier Fund and the Glacier Natural History Association,” said Mr. Stein. “Our goal was to create a powerful, unified voice for philanthropy and Park partnership. We knew it would not be easy, but in these four short years we have grown dramatically.”
“This is our second search” for an executive director, said Mr. Stein. “Our first, conducted shortly after our merger in January 2013, was conducted successfully in-house.” That leader remained in place through the spring of last year. Mr. Stein said for this assignment Campbell and Company was selected based on its experience in the sector and capacity to broaden the field of candidates in order to find a truly unique person to fill the role. He expects the new director to be hired in time for a late spring start date.
Mission-Driven Leaders Who Make an Impact
Ms. McFeely, the Campbell and Company recruiter leading the assignment, conducts senior level searches across a variety of sectors within non-profit, including independent schools, social service concerns, healthcare businesses, associations and environmental organizations. For more than 11 years, she has worked with the search firm’s recruitment team to find individuals who can make an impact on an organization’s mission. To date, she has partnered with over 60 clients.
With offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, Portland, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., Campbell & Company offers counsel in advancement planning, fundraising, marketing communications and executive search for non-profit organizations in the education, health & medicine, arts & culture, environment, social service, and professional society fields.
The firm is currently seeking top leaders for a number of blue chip clients, including the American Nurses Association; Woods Funds of Chicago; Jewish Council for Youth Services; Indiana State University Foundation; Governors State University Foundation; Glenwood Academy; The GAVI Campaign; Audubon Texas; and Farm Sanctuary.
Fundraising Counsel
In 2013, Collins Group, a Seattle-based fundraising consulting firm, merged its business into Campbell & Company. This allowed the firm to work with staff and leadership in a variety of sectors, guiding nascent major gift programs and development operations. It has counseled hundreds of non-profits in making plans for their future, including the Adventist Medical Center, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and Courage Center, among others.
“Our services are primarily assessing the strength of an institution’s fundraising,” said Marian Alexander DeBerry, the firm’s director of executive search. “Except for specific engagements where a consultant may serve as an interim fundraiser, we do not directly raise money for them, but we help them learn how to raise money more effectively. We work with boards and volunteer leadership as well as fundraising teams.”
Successful fundraising combines the artful communication of an organization’s vision with the science of best practices, said Peter Fissinger, president and chief executive officer of Campbell & Company’s fundraising team. “While this concept is in itself very simple, implementing it has become increasingly complex. We work to merge these two vital components to create winning campaigns. From developing strategy to executing an expertly-conceived campaign operating plan, we work collaboratively with our clients from preparation to implementation.”
Throughout his 30-year career in institutional advancement, Mr. Fissinger has designed and implemented major capital fundraising, annual giving programs, planned giving programs, and marketing and publication efforts.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief, Hunt Scanlon Media
