The Chautauqua Lake & Watershed Management Alliance (CLWMA) is seeking to hire a full-time Executive Director to help launch and guide this newly- formed not-for-profit corporation. Formation of the CLWMA is the culmination of several years of collaboration amongst a broad range of stakeholders whose mission it is to improve the health of Chautauqua Lake and its watershed. The CLWMA, working in collaboration with lake and watershed-related organizations, municipalities and other stakeholders, will promote and facilitate implementation of recommendations from the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Plan, the Chautauqua Lake Macrophyte Management Strategy and other initiatives primarily by prioritizing projects, securing funding and allocating resources. The CLWMA is a natural evolution of the Chautauqua Lake Management Commission (CLMC), which is an entity that was formed by the County Legislature in 2006 to help identify the primary issues plaguing Chautauqua Lake and its watershed, and to develop recommendations for mitigating these problems. Since the CLMC fulfilled its mission, it needed to evolve into a more purposeful alliance with a membership representing diverse community interests collectively working together. By demonstrating unity to outside funders, the CLWMA will, among other initiatives, take a lead role in working with members to seek and administer state and federal grant funding for local projects involving the Lake and Watershed. The CLWMA is a designated NYS Corporation, and has filed its requisite IRS paperwork to become a 501C (3).
The Executive Director will be a full-time employee who will work with the board and other stakeholders to launch an organization that will ultimately seek federal/state funding for member projects and member activities, provide expertise and resources for members, promote stewardship through education and community awareness, and collaborate and coordinate with members and stakeholders to properly manage Chautauqua Lake and its Watershed. Initially, no dedicated staff will be available to assist the Executive Director; however, the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Economic Development (CCPED), the board and other stakeholders will work closely with the new Executive Director to grow the organizations. It is anticipated that the number of dedicated employees will expand to a full- time staff of 3 by year 5. Much of the work in year 1 will involve establishing office space, solidifying the organizational structure, soliciting membership, seeking funding, and other activities that serve to fulfill the mission of the corporation. Responsibilities of the Executive Director  Grant Writing and Administration.  Identify, prioritize and implement projects recommended in the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Plan & Chautauqua Lake Macrophyte (Rooted Aquatic Plants) Management Strategy.  Work with Board of Directors, CCPED Staff and other stakeholders to lead, develop, nurture and oversee CLWMA operations to meet our mission.  Take a convening roll in growing the CLWMA membership through team building among participating organizations.  Direct the operations of CLWMA, including facilitating board meetings, preparing budgets, undertaking strategic planning sessions, and overseeing fundraising efforts from state, federal, County, municipal, foundation and private sources.  Lead and supervise future staff.  Develop, manage and track the CLWMA annual work plan and budget.  Educate the public regarding the mission and objectives of the CLWMA through presentations, educational sessions and other venues.  Provide direct services to Members, including the adoption and implementation of regulations, site visits to property owners, development plan review, and writing/implementing/administering grants for special projects.  Develop an annual work plan, in close collaboration with its partners.  Skills and Qualifications of the Executive Director  Master’s degree in environmental science/planning, biology, ecology, water resources, natural resource management, or related field strongly preferred.  Experience working in watershed management, storm water management, environmental policy, environmental planning or related fields is preferred but not mandatory.  Strong grant writing and other fund-raising experience and skills.  Supervisory and team leadership experience.  Experience with non‐profit financial management.  Self‐motivated, energetic, and demonstrated strong organizational and leadership skills.  Excellent problem solving, presentation, and writing skills.  Outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with a keen ability to build trust and rapport with a broad range of people.  Lake and watershed management skills.  Maturity of judgment, high degree of integrity, discretion, self‐ motivation, and taking initiative.  Ability to work well in a small, entrepreneurial setting, taking on multiple tasks and adapting as CLWMA Members’ needs and priorities change.  Ability to manage multiple projects for both CLWMA programs and Member priorities.  Experience in project, personnel and program management.  Understanding of local land use regulations, Clean Water Act, watershed management, and storm water management at the local, State, and Federal levels.  Ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork and to attend multiple Member, County, Municipal and other stakeholder meetings.  Experience using ESRI based GIS software, preferred. Chautauqua Lake & Watershed Management Alliance, Inc.  Represents 10 municipalities in a 180 square mile watershed.  Procuring and managing federal, state, county and local funding for water-related projects on behalf of member organizations.  Aiming to be a leader in watershed management by developing technical guidance for local communities to facilitate the adoption and implementation of local codes and stormwater management programs and by creating innovative stormwater practices to guide and inform local stormwater management decisions.  CLWMA is a watershed organization formed by the County, municipalities, districts, organizations and other stakeholders in the Chautauqua Lake Watershed to provide direct one‐on‐one assistance to Members, including flood control, erosion control, and other natural resource management projects related to the Lake and watershed.  CLWMA staff will work directly with communities to guide land use and improve water quality. It is anticipated that the work of CLWMA will allow us to see the results through attainment of improved water quality standards and the following:  Increasing local understanding of flood and erosion control issues and the use of low impact development stormwater management practices;  Adoption of local zoning to limit development near streams and wetlands;  Implementation of numerous stream and wetland restoration projects;  Implementation of new and /or improved in-lake management practices, and  The procurement of significant funding for stormwater management projects and watershed‐wide studies of stream, wetland and in-lake functions. Salary & Benefits  Salary commensurate with experience.  SIMPLE IRA retirement plan.  Two (2) weeks paid vacation per year to start.  Medical coverage.  Equal opportunity employer. How to Apply  E‐mail resume, writing samples (5 pages maximum), and 3 references to Debbie at [email protected] , Attention: Mark Geise, CLWMA Committee  Applications will not be accepted without writing samples.  Applications will only be accepted electronically in a PDF format.  Deadline for application submission is Friday, November 14, 2014
