As if 2020 weren’t already slated to be a year of turbulence and opportunity, the Babcock Foundation is undergoing some significant shifts this year. We are excited about the changes – including two open staff positions – and we are asking our partners across the South to help us spread the word.
As you may recall, we launched a search for a new Program Director last year. In all candor, this search has proven difficult. We believe this is due to the unique combination of three specific requirements: eight years’ grantmaking experience, meaningful social change experience in the South and willingness to relocate to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
This challenge presented us an opportunity to take a new approach to our staffing needs by creating two new leadership positions. We hope this approach will help us achieve two overarching goals: foster more collaborative leadership and shared decision-making, and deepen our emphasis on equity by dedicating a position to it.
The Chief Equity and Learning Officer will lead our efforts to advance equity in all our work, facilitating meaningful conversations and creating space for learning. This person will also spearhead our organizational learning about the ever-changing context of the country and the South, and how it affects our work and that of our grantee partners, for better or worse. This position will also manage a portfolio of grants and have roles on the equity, program and management teams. While we are seeking a senior leader with at least eight years’ relevant experience, understanding of the South and a commitment to equity, this person would not have to bring grantmaking experience. We are also exploring the possibility of allowing this position to live elsewhere in our 11-state footprint, working remotely while spending considerable time in Winston-Salem. Read more about the position and application instructions here.
Our Chief Strategy Officer will oversee our grantmaking and lead our leverage strategies while managing a portfolio of grants. This person will serve on management and program teams, supervising network officers and contributing significantly to our strategic refinement work. We have promoted Senior Network Officer Elena Conley to this new role. Her experience, skills, and deep knowledge of the South and the Babcock Foundation make her perfectly suited to this position.
To align our management team’s titles, Senior Finance Officer Jennifer Barksdale becomes Chief Finance and Operations Officer.
We are also seeking an Associate Network Officer to manage existing relationships and identify new ones in specific parts of the South. This person will be a member of the program team and grow into administering a portfolio of grants. Read more about the position and application instructions here.
Contact us if you have questions about these changes. Please share this with anyone you believe would make a strong candidate for our Chief Equity and Learning Officer or Associate Network Officer. And thank you for your support and guidance as we chart a path for the future of the Foundation.
Add new comment