CEO

Chief Executive Officer

Conservation Lands Foundation 

Durango, CO or Remote

ABOUT THE CONSERVATION LANDS FOUNDATION

The Conservation Lands Foundation is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Durango, Colorado, with staff in Northern and Southern California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington, DC. 

Established in 2007, Conservation Lands Foundation was founded on the belief that our public lands are best protected when a national network of local advocates is working to advance a common conservation vision. Conservation Lands Foundation works hand-in-hand with more than 80 community-based organizations – its  Friends Grassroots Network – to protect the National Conservation Lands, a collection of premier lands and waters under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s jurisdiction. National Conservation Lands currently encompass 37 million acres and 2,400 miles of National Monuments and National Conservation Areas, Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Scenic and Historic Trails and are mostly found throughout the West and Alaska. 

These 37 million acres comprise only 15% of the 250 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the agency responsible for the largest acreage of federally managed public lands. Leaving 85% of them available for mining and development. 

Conservation Land Foundation’s mission is to protect millions more acres as National Conservation Lands to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for all. Whether you’re an avid hiker, hunter, angler, Indigenous with ancestral connections, or rarely visit public lands, protecting these more vulnerable landscapes is essential to wildlife, water sources, and ways of life. In addition to working to ensure the public’s access to visit, hunt, fish, hike, swim and otherwise recreate and experience the rejuvenating qualities of being in nature, Conservation Lands Foundation works to ensure smart renewable energy siting and protect lands from development that would splinter intact landscapes and endanger wildlife corridors and some of the most sacred cultural and historic sites. 

The Conservation Lands Foundation mission is to protect, restore, and expand the National Conservation Lands through education, advocacy, and partnerships.

There is no other nonprofit organization solely dedicated to protecting and expanding America’s National Conservation Lands and investing in a community-powered strategy to protect them, as well as active partnerships with Indigenous-led conservation efforts. With an annual operating budget of $8.5MM, Conservation Land Foundation’s ability to be nimble, dynamic, and adaptive has made it a leader in public land conservation.  

A sampling of highlights and accomplishments includes: 

• Secured the protection of 15.5 million acres and more than 200 miles of public lands and waters through their addition to the National Conservation Lands system;
• Added protections to 1.5 million acres of land in 2023, which will improve air and water quality, strengthen local economies, preserve sacred landscapes, and support our overall health and well-being;
• Drove a record level of public support for the newly proposed Public Lands Rule, which puts conservation on equal footing with other uses for the 250 million acres managed by the BLM;
• Won significant legal victories against attacks on Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in Utah;
• Supported the vision and leadership of sovereign Tribal nations and worked closely to develop relationships and support Tribal coalition-building initiatives with the Bears Ears National Monument and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument designations;
• Worked with community leaders, Tribal nations, and members of Congress to advance national monument campaigns and legislative protections for valuable and vulnerable places in Colorado, Oregon, California, Nevada, and New Mexico;
• Launched a national public awareness campaign to attract the next generation of National Conservation Land caretakers, and;
• Granted more than $17 million since Conservation Lands Foundation began grant-making in 2008 – including almost $2 million in 2023 – for community-led advocacy, restoration, and public engagement programs through its Friends Grassroots Network.

In the last year of the current presidency, Conservation Lands Foundation is focused on ensuring the administration delivers on its goal to protect 30% of U.S. land by 2030 and achieve landscape-scale protections that will withstand future threats. As potential changes and challenges lie ahead, the Conservation Lands Foundation team knows that their intense focus and investment in place-based community-powered advocacy will pay off.

The outcome of the 2024 elections will have a lasting impact on conservation and climate policy. An administration and Congress friendly to conservation would mean accelerating actions that advance public lands conservation, while an administration and Congress unfriendly to conservation will require the organization to pivot to defense of the National Conservation Lands system as a whole, the president’s use of the Antiquities Act, and policies enacted over the past decades. 

To learn more about Conservation Lands Foundation, please visit: https://www.conservationlands.org 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Conservation Lands Foundation is actively searching for a dynamic Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to build upon significant successes, ensure the continued achievement of impactful conservation outcomes, and guide the organization through a phase of opportunity and growth. 

This leadership position presents an extraordinary opportunity to propel a well-established national nonprofit organization into its next chapter of impact. The selected CEO will hold a pivotal role in shaping Conservation Lands Foundation’s future and steering its mission delivery to new heights. With oversight of a dedicated and geographically dispersed team of 22 staff, including four direct reports leading conservation efforts, philanthropy, finance and operations, and communications, the CEO will report to a diverse and engaged Board of Trustees.

The next leader will be someone who brings meaningful and credible experience in strategic leadership and vision setting, fundraising, policy advocacy, organizational management, and constituency building. A creative thinker with a strong aptitude for change management, the CEO will be able to harmonize the need to make effective and timely decisions while actively empowering the work of the Board and staff, bringing emotional intelligence to their interactions with an eye towards active listening, empathy, and empowering others, both internally and externally.

Working with staff, the Board of Trustees, partners and other stakeholders, the CEO will: 

Leadership and Organizational Management 

• Provide thoughtful and visionary executive leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering, aligning with the organization’s mission as defined by the Board of Trustees.
• Present strategic options and plans for organizational impact, seeking Board approval as necessary to advance the mission.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring the overall success and sustainability of the organization in the long term.
• Organize, motivate, and mentor internal team leaders to strategically grow Conservation Lands Foundation’s impact, programs, and fundraising, fostering effective mission fulfillment.
• Apply innovative thinking and performance measurements to analyze and support strategic decision-making.
• Continually cultivate a collaborative culture between departments, emphasizing the recognition of positive contributions.
• Contribute to the strategic refresh and actively drive its implementation.
• Establish goals, objectives, and operational plans in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, staff, and other organizational leaders and partners.
• Evaluate program success, ensuring goals are met, and maintaining organizational focus to fulfill the mission.

Development and Fundraising

• Lead development and fundraising efforts in collaboration with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, leveraging the Board as needed to ensure the organization’s financial health.
• Advance Conservation Lands Foundation fundraising campaigns as one of the organization’s primary and persuasive ambassadors and participate in “asks” of prospects and donors.
• Meet with major donors and foundations, develop and maintain robust relationships with donors, and enhance Conservation Lands Foundation’s fundraising network alongside the Chief Philanthropy Officer.
• Initiate, cultivate, and expand relationships with Conservation Lands Foundation’s portfolio of individual, foundation, and corporate supporters.
• Ensure the organization’s financial stability and sustainability by actively managing healthy cash flow and maintaining adequate reserves.

External Relations and Communications

• Build and maintain robust and trusting relationships with the Administration, the Department of the Interior, Friends Grassroots Network leaders and partner groups.
• Represent the organization and serve as the chief spokesperson publicly at events, conferences, and partnership meetings, and collaborate with the Chief Communications Officer to implement high-impact strategies and opportunities that inform and inspire.
• Engage in Conservation Lands Foundation’s program work (conservation fieldwork, policy and legal, and communications) as appropriate and as identified in the strategic plan.
• Ensure high visibility to prospects and the public, fostering interest in engaged philanthropy.

Board Governance

• Ensure regular and ongoing communication to cultivate strong relationships with the Board, providing leadership and support to members consistently.
• Effectively communicate with the Board, furnishing all necessary information for informed decision-making in a timely and accurate manner.
• Attend all Board meetings, delivering comprehensive reports and updates on staff, current work, project timelines, and organizational progress.
• Manage staff leadership and engagement with the board through delegation and participation in Board Committees.
• Skillfully negotiate with and influence the board as needed to foster consensus, remind members of outstanding deliverables, and offer support.

Financial Management and Administration

• Collaborate with the Chief Finance and Operations Officer to develop the overall organizational budget and individual program budgets, seeking Board approval.
• Ensure organizational financial transparency, compliance, and accountability.
• Take responsibility for the fiscal integrity of the organization.
• Monitor the Board-approved budget and, in coordination with the CFO, oversee daily financial operations to optimize resource utilization and enhance the organization’s financial positioning.

Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

• Take a leading role in Conservation Lands Foundation’s equity, inclusion, and diversity initiatives, ensuring their effective implementation and achievement of benchmarks.
• Champion and drive initiatives that foster a culture of equity, inclusion, and diversity throughout the organization.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experiences that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position profile, ideal candidates will display many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Leadership and Management

• An ability to unify and inspire staff and Board members, provide a clear and compelling vision for the organization, ensure sound financial management for organizational short- and long-term fiscal health, and effectively manage geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven ability to lead organizational change, adapt to evolving circumstances, and foster a positive and adaptable organizational culture.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve measurable results and positive outcomes in previous leadership roles, with a focus on driving organizational success.

Fundraising 

• Experience and skills as an effective fundraising ambassador to foundation, corporate, and individual donors with a proven track record of successfully driving fundraising campaigns and diversifying revenue streams for financial sustainability.

Strategic Vision and Planning

• A capacity to drive the organization’s strategic vision, set clear multi-year and annual goals, and oversee the effective implementation of strategic plans.

Policy Advocacy and External Representation

• Knowledge and experience in policy advocacy, as well as the ability to serve as an engaging, persuasive and inspiring external ambassador to key audiences, partners, and policymakers.

Communication and Relationship Building

• Embodies strong communication skills and practices to effectively inspire, influence, persuade and message the organization’s mission, impact and vision to funders, donors, partners, and stakeholders and to effectively build and maintain a broad range of relationships, both internally and externally.

Organizational Culture and Equity

• A commitment to and experience with promoting, upholding and advancing organizational culture, equity, justice and inclusion within the organization and in external relationships.
• Deep respect for Tribal sovereignty and the ancestral ties Indigenous people have to public lands.

Board Governance and Engagement

• An ability to effectively engage with, support and manage the organization’s Board of Trustees, ensuring alignment with the organizations’ mission, vision, and strategic goals.

Additional Qualifications: 

• A genuine passion for and alignment with the mission and values of Conservation Lands Foundation will be key to the CEO’s success in this role;
• 15 + years of professional experience in a related space with a demonstrated fluency in policy advocacy and campaigns;
• At least 5-7 years of direct supervisory experience;
• Bachelor’s degree and/or advanced degree preferred; and
• An ability and willingness to travel up to 40% of the time to represent the organization, engage with stakeholders, donors and funders, and attend relevant events and conferences.

Research overwhelmingly shows that women and people of color are less likely to apply to positions if they do not have 100% of qualifications listed. Please consider applying even if you do not have all of the qualifications noted above.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The annual salary range for the position is between $190,000 to $220,000 commensurate with experience. 

Conservation Lands Foundation offers a competitive compensation package with an organizational culture that supports staff well-being and professional development. Benefits include generous vacation and sick time; 13 paid holidays; 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match; health, dental, and vision insurance plan; Flex Spending program or Health Savings Account; life insurance; short and long-term disability insurance; three month sabbatical every seven years of employment. CLF offices are closed the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. 

LOCATION

Durango, CO or Remote

While Conservation Lands Foundation has its headquarters in Durango, CO, the majority of the staff are remote. We are open to candidates who have successfully led organizations or their teams remotely and would be up to the task when it comes to the necessary travel involved in this role.