The Ann Storck Center
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Mission
The Ann Storck Center is a nationally accredited, highly acclaimed 501 (c) (3) non-profit human service organization serving the needs of children and adults in South Florida who present severe and multiple developmental disabilities including Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Mental Retardation. The Center strives to discover and build upon the uniqueness and strengths of each person it serves in order to provide life-enriching experiences.
Organization Overview
The Ann Storck Center offers Residential, Preschool and Adult Day Training services to adults and children. Life-enriching opportunities include the Expressive Arts, recreational services, and annual events and celebrations.
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the Ann Storck Center (the Center) has an annual operating budget of $14,000,000, 350 employees, and serves over 300 individuals in residential, educational and community based settings. More information about the Center can be found at www.annstorckcenter.org.
Current Circumstances
The reputation and performance of the Ann Storck Center is a source of pride and celebration. Over the years, it has benefited hundreds of men, women and children, and their families and friends. The Center is a strong and vibrant community, and an important part of the larger community of Ft. Lauderdale. It is a respected advocacy, service and educational organization.
Outgoing Executive Director James McGuire has served in this position for 28 years. He is leaving because he seeks new challenges. He has been an extraordinarily effective and strong chief executive.
In preparing to recruit a new Executive Director, the Board has come to recognize that it has had an near-ideal model of organizational leadership, based on the effective partnership of this strong chief executive and a strong and accomplished Board Chair who has served in his role for nearly all of Mr. McGuire’s tenure. The Board and organization as a whole has supported and benefited from their collaboration. It has allowed the rest of the Board to focus on fund raising and general support, and to respond to the strategic agenda materially shaped by the Executive Director and Board Chair.
The success of this partnership, and the prospect of a change in the key players, has led the Board to carefully reflect on what comes next. Fundamentally, the Board recognizes that a new partnership will not just result from hiring the next Executive Director. Rather it will be necessary to identify the key elements that made such a relationship work and adapt those elements to the style and strategy of a new chief executive.
We intend for an open and candid exploration of these elements to be an integral part of this search. We will invite prospective candidates to share their views and expectations of the Board, and the Board will be open about its views and expectations in turn.
This is a good and caring Board. Its members have been alert to supporting the organization and are committed to its fund raising mission, and they are ready to adapt to and support the next generation of leadership of the organization.
The Board is also open to a review of its role and obligations, including the potential addition of new members with needed skills and resources, reshaping the Board/Chief Executive partnership to maximize the impact of the new Executive Director, and shaping a clear mandate and broad executive authority for that person. We expect the new Executive Director to have significant input to the board development agenda. Our goal is to again have a powerful and respected chief executive, enjoying a strong partnership with the Board, in order to continue the great work and visible leadership of this organization.
The organization is in solid shape. There is a strong and capable staff, a caring and supportive culture, and a rich institutional base of knowledge the new chief executive will be able to tap. As chief executive, Mr. McGuire provided strong organizational leadership through a team of deputies, and was a highly visible member of the community, key fundraiser, and a visible advocate and policy advisor locally and statewide. Our ambition is that the next Executive Director will assess and adapt the organization to his or her style of leadership, but will continue to assure high performance standards, the culture of caring and collegiality, and the visible advocacy, policy and fund raising leadership necessary to advance this organization.
While the organization is strong and ready to align behind a new leader, there are many challenges. Funding from public and private sources is chronically stressed, and effective fund raising is a must in order to achieve a balanced budget. It is critical that the Board, Executive Director, staff and volunteers operate as a highly effective team in order to maintain what has historically been a top performing enterprise.
The successful candidate must have the following qualification: 1/ at least 5 years in successful nonprofit leadership positions as an Executive Director, senior manager, or other significant leadership position; 2/ an understanding of and sensitivity for the issues impacting upon Florida’s most vulnerable citizens, especially those with severe and profound developmental disabilities and those who are multiply disabled as well as medically fragile; 3/ the proven ability to plan, execute and evaluate large projects and special events; 4/ the proven ability in nonprofit fundraising from corporations, foundations, individuals, and special events; 5/ experience in organizational planning; 6/ excellent written, verbal and presentation skills; 7/ demonstrated leadership abilities and a value system compatible with the mission of the Ann Storck Center.
Application
The Ann Storck Center is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All candidates will be evaluated on a merit basis.
Resumes and a cover letter may be submitted, in confidence, to:
Ford Webb Associates, Inc
60 Thoreau Street
Concord, MA 01742
or storck@fordwebb.com
