Executive Director

Position: Executive Director

Cedar Lake Ministries, an established Christian Camp and Conference Center in Northwest Indiana, is seeking to immediately fill the position of Executive Director. 

The Executive Director is the chief executive officer and managing director of Cedar Lake Ministries.  This person is responsible for overseeing the administration, fundraising, effectiveness of programs, guest retreats & conferences, and strategic plan of the organization. Other key duties include, marketing and community outreach. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors.

Applicant must be a proven Christian leader with demonstrable experience in leading a complex multi-layered organization. Must be an exceptional communicator able to inspire and lead the staff and community of volunteers towards the fulfillment of goals and mission set forth by the Board of Directors.  This individual should have the desire to share the gospel in creative and effective ways.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as chief administrative executive of the ministry and subject to serve on such committees as may be designated by the President of the Board of Directors.
• Assure the continued operation of the ministry programs, conferences and community within the broad objectives established by and approved by the Board of Directors. 
• Account to the President and the Board of Directors through reports and verbal communications of performance and progress in significant areas of operation.
• Promotes and maintains good relations with the Ministry constituency, cottagers, and the broader community.

Planning:

The Executive Director, in conjunction with the Board of Directors, serves as the primary voice for broad policies, objectives, and goals of the ministry.  A qualified individual will lead with vision, evaluating current objectives and leading the organization in altering policies, metrics, and goals to achieve them.  Planning responsibilities also include managing financial planning, budgets, and forecasts.

Staffing:

The Executive Director is the leader of the staff.  This person is responsible for hiring the best available personnel, training and developing staff members, and overseeing a fair and productive workplace.

Financial Controls:

The Executive Director will determine and assure effective controls over budgets, forecasts, proposals, cash management, inventories, purchasing, capital expenditures and maintenance.  The financial functions of accounting, insurance, financial reports, relations with financial institutions, taxation, and office services will be the responsibility of the ED.

Daily Operations:

The Executive Director will coordinate the various phases of the organization’s operations in day-to-day activity to assure smooth functioning toward common goals.  This will include the leadership of department managers in the effective development and leadership of staff.

Actionable Data Collection and Interpretation:

The Executive Director will be responsible for gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data relevant to the improvement of the ministry’s performance and assurance of the organization’s future relevance and competitiveness.

Qualifications and Competencies:

An ideal candidate will have five or more years of experience leading a ministry with a multi-tiered staff of at least ten individuals.  Candidates should have experience with budget responsibilities, leading and developing managers, and managing donor relationships.  The candidate will be a proven Christian leader who has several years of successful philanthropic experience, including running capital campaigns.  He/she will be an exceptional communicator, particularly working alongside staff, board and volunteer leadership.  Strong organizational and change management skills are required to lead in the fulfillment of the mission and strategic plan of the ministry.

Competencies include:

• Leadership: Proven ability to provide vision and inspiration to team members, develop workable plans, set expectations, monitor delegated activities and provide recognition for results.
• Communication Skills: Clearly and persuasively communicates, including public speaking; listen and seek clarifications; participate in meetings; write clearly and informatively.
• Analytical Skills: Identify and resolve problems in a timely manner. Gather and analyze information skillfully; solicit feedback and use reason when dealing with emotional topics.
• Initiative: Measure self against a standard of excellence. Undertake self-development activities and learn new skills; seek increased responsibilities and ask for and offer help when needed.
• Integrity: Work well in a rapidly changing environment; treat others with respect and consideration; accept responsibility for own actions. Understand business implications of decisions, align work with strategic goals, complete administrative tasks and develop strategies to achieve organizational goals.
• Flexibility: Able to multitask in a changing work environment. Lead challenging demands and unexpected events. Willing to change approach to best fit the situation.

History:

Our mission statement is “to provide a life changing environment for evangelism and spiritual growth.”

Cedar Lake Ministries is celebrating nearly 103 years of continuous ministry.  Located just 35 miles from Chicago, the organization enjoys longstanding relationships with many churches and non-profit organizations within the Chicagoland area.  The two major ministries of the organization are private retreats and programmed camps & retreats.  Private retreats consist of churches, non-profits, parachurch ministries, schools, and other organizations utilizing the grounds, lodging, and amenities of CLM for their own retreats.  Programmed camps & retreats include both day camps and overnight camps that are facilitated by the ministry’s staff and volunteers, including women’s retreats, youth camps, and other activities.

In addition to these two ministries, CLM has a Christian residential community of 70 private home on the grounds.  The residents, or fondly called “cottagers”, have a history of long involvement with the ministry to various levels of volunteerism and financial support.  The Executive Director will maintain a positive relationship with the cottager community through regular communication, ministry, and service.

A detailed history of the ministry can be found at www.cedarlakeministries.org

Applicants may email a resume and cover letter to Jerry Tessarolo, Board President at: clm-board@cedarlakeministries.org