Successful ED Search and Hiring for IACT
GoForth Helps Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation Execute an Executive Director Search, Positioning Them for Major Statewide Impact!
Sam Spofforth, Principal, GoForth Partners
Board leaders of smaller nonprofits are often reluctant to bring on a full-time executive director. They might be worried about financial risk or even concerned about ceding control they've grown accustomed to having. Conducting the search itself seems like a daunting project, and some are concerned they might not find or choose the right leader.
Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation (IACT), the DOE-designated Clean Cities and Communities (CC&C) coalition serving Illinois, confronted this dilemma recently. Four years ago, after nearly 30 years as Chicago Area Clean Cities, they expanded statewide and changed their name. Then, a few years ago, the Board, with help from a facilitator, developed a new strategic plan. This helped spark a leadership transition within the Board, and a courageous decision by new Board leadership to bring on a full-time executive director for the first time in its history. IACT's all-volunteer Board was committed but knew the effort would be challenging.
IACT turned to GoForth Partners to develop and recommend a search strategy, then spearhead the process.
“This was a pivotal step for IACT. GoForth helped us structure a thoughtful, disciplined search that brought forward a strong field of candidates and gave the Board confidence in the process,” said Ann Schneider, Chair, Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation. “We're excited about what comes next.”
We worked as a team. Starting in June, I proposed a recruitment strategy that centered on outreach to multiple networks – current CC&C coalition directors, former interns, national lab contacts, former DOE colleagues, and others. It also emphasized the networks of the IACT Board and staff, plus allied organizations and industry. Board members and I also made significant use of LinkedIn, but through personal postings, not mass recruitment tools. We decided not to use job boards since these generate applications with resumes and cover letters produced quickly using artificial intelligence. The large volume requires substantial time to sort through and includes a high percentage of less qualified candidates.
We developed a recruitment posting that emphasized IACT's exciting new chapter and interest in hiring an energetic entrepreneurial organization builder with skills and experience to match. That posting and our collective efforts to promote it through networks yielded about 20 responses – not a huge number, but nearly all were qualified candidates. I selected several of them and conducted the initial round of interviews, based on a consistent set of questions. Then, Board leadership and I aligned on a smaller pool for round two, followed by additional vetting and background checks. Based on all of this and the strength of the final candidates, the Board decided it did not need to conduct in-person interviews with finalists.
In early August, just over two months after beginning, Board leadership selected their chosen candidate, negotiated terms, and brought the process to a close.
The IACT Board plans to announce their new executive director soon. When they do, I'll update this story and provide more details. For now, suffice it to say that everyone – IACT's Board and the new executive director – is thrilled. It's a great fit all around. I'm proud of IACT's Board leaders. This is a big step forward and positions the organization to become one of the strongest coalitions in the CC&C network. Challenges and opportunities await. I can't wait to see how their future unfolds!
