Now Hiring Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

Position: President

The Duluth Area Chamber is seeking to hire our next President. If you wish to be a candidate for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to: Ken Buck at kbconsulting@mchsi.com by April 30, 2021.

The Chamber 2021 Action Plan, Our Path Forward, presents a concise overview of the Chamber’s Mission, Vision, 2020 Key Achievements, 2021 Key Initiatives and our Board of Directors.

Position Summary

The Duluth, Minnesota Area Chamber of Commerce is searching for a dynamic individual to lead the organization as its President. The ideal candidate will be able to set a positive vision, strategy, and bring collaborative action with stakeholders to advance the Duluth economy and business culture.  The ideal candidate will have experience leading for-profit or non-profit organizations, leadership and management skills to advance the business community, and have the ability to create and maintain relationships with members and community partners to carry out the Mission, Vision and Values of the Chamber. The President is responsible for the Chamber’s overall operation. The President reports to the Board of Directors and coordinates the services and offerings made available to our approximately 960 member businesses. This person will design and implement programs which drive the growth and success of our members, our Chamber, and our business community. The President is the primary spokesperson and business advocate for the Chamber

Essential Functions

Organizational Leadership:

• Providing leadership to ensure the Chamber’s mission, key initiatives and strategic direction are honored and implemented. Leads and directs ongoing development of the Chamber’s strategic direction.
• Achieving the overall measures of success for the organization, as determined, and recalibrated on an annual basis.
• Responsible for the financial health of the Chamber including: budgeting, financial reporting, expense control, and assuring all accounting is conducted in a manner consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Implementing and augmenting the guidelines and benchmarks which will ensure the highest level of organizational ethics and integrity.
• Ensuring organizational stability and growth in the areas of operating revenues, service enhancement and membership growth.
• Building strategic alliances which expand resources and opportunities for our membership and our community.
• Coordinate public relations and marketing efforts in support of the Chamber’s programs and offerings. Identifies and builds key elements of the Chamber’s branding and marketing.
• Must have the ability to gather, synthesize, and appropriately use data to support the Chamber’s Mission, Vison, and Goals.

Leadership of People:

• Creating an atmosphere of respect and trust wherein colleagues are empowered to develop new skills and bring more value to our members.
• Recruiting and retaining colleagues and volunteers who conduct themselves in a manner which generates support from members and from our community partners.
• Encouraging problem solving at every level of the organization by establishing clear guidelines for decision making and for taking initiative.
• Providing administrative support to all Chamber committees and taskforces.
• Managing direct reports and outside consultants. Responsible for the direction, coordination and evaluation of colleagues.
• Attracting talented individuals to work at the Chamber, developing this talent, and assigning and directing work responsibilities.
• Appraising colleagues’ performance, addressing personnel concerns, and resolving workplace issues.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consistently promote the benefits of membership in the Chamber.
• Achieve organizational goals for membership recruitment and retention.
• Provide timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial reports and financial trends to assist the Board and colleagues in their individual and collective decision making.
• Distill strategic initiatives into key initiatives, procedures and measurable outcomes.
• Create and maintain organizational practices, compensation strategies and growth opportunities which enhance the work experience for colleagues.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson for the Chamber while articulating the Chamber’s positions on various public policy issues, political initiatives and community developments.

Required Competencies and Qualifications

Competencies:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the importance of organizing work around an organization’s mission, vision and key initiatives. Ability to articulate and integrate these guiding tools into the daily operation of an organization or business.
• A record of success articulating an organization’s mission, vision and action plan within the community.
• Experience accepting responsibility for the performance of an organization or business and the public image it conveys to the community.
• Demonstrated success initiating and overseeing a successful strategic planning initiative.
• A reputation of demonstrating ethical behavior in business interactions and community engagement.
• A history of creating an environment of trust and openness in which ideas are considered and honored. An ability to convene individuals to create new opportunities, maximize resource and solve problems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. An ability to make effective and persuasive presentations.
• A strong record of effectively advocating for public policy as it relates to local, regional and state government.
• Proven ability to generate financial and community support for various initiatives and fund-raising campaigns.

Work Environment

The work environment requires both inside and outdoor exposure. The noise level is moderate. It is a diversified job requiring sustained mental effort, significant interaction with others, and regular occurrence of work days extending beyond the regularly scheduled 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. workday.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this position, the person is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, handle and objects, tools and controls, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk and hear. The person must occasionally lift and move objects that weigh up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Employment Classification:

This position is classified by the Fair Labor Standards Act of the United States Labor Law as: Exempt. The Chamber President reports directly to the Chamber Board of Directors.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in: Business, Public Policy, Organizational Development, Communications, or other equivalent educational degree preferred.  Equivalent experience in directly related field in combination with GED, high school diploma may be considered in lieu of the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• Eight years or more of experience successfully leading a business, an organization, an initiative, or a campaign.
• Demonstrated experience in creating a distinct business culture and driving change with internal and external stakeholders in the business community or a similar context.
• The ability to have constructive conflict for the greater good, build working coalitions, and advance strategic initiatives that bring local behavioral change to the culture and produce tangible outcomes.
• Demonstrated leadership & management skills in a similar environment.
• Ability to manage a work schedule that includes attending various meetings and gatherings that occur during early morning hours, late afternoon, and evening hours.
• Proficiency in the use of current workplace technologies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in: Business, Public Policy, Organizational Development, Communications, or related field will be valued.
• Experience providing leadership within a chamber or member-based organization, either as an employee or as a lead volunteer, will be valued.

Confidentiality Within this Search Process

We fully respect, and will honor, the need to keep confidential the information supplied by individuals interested in this position. Chamber representatives, who are engaged in this selection process, will be the only individuals who will have access to information supplied by candidates.

Equality of Opportunity

Our Chamber firmly represents the principles and philosophy of equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, creed, disability or national origin. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Position Description Authors

The Chamber’s Executive Search Committee, and our Executive Search Process Consultant, developed this Position Description. Our Search Committee Chair is Daniel Fanning. Our Consultant is Ken Buck of Ken Buck Consulting, LLC. David Ross, Chamber President, provided support to this effort.

To Apply

Qualified Candidates please send cover letter and resume by April 30, 2021 to:

Ken Buck Consulting, LLC
4937 Red Oak Circle
Hermantown, Minnesota 55811
or to:
kbconsulting@mchsi.com