Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall

(Los Angeles, CA)

Title: President & Chief Executive Officer

View Position Brochure Here

THE ORGANIZATION:

In September of 2019, two of Los Angeles’ most iconic speakers’ organizations — the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall Los Angeles — merged to form the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. With a combined 150 years of shared experience in debate and public discussion, and combined speakers spanning over 250+ international heads of state and eight U.S. Presidents, the merger was a recommitment to lively, topical forums designed for public attendance and participation.

The mission of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall (LAWACTH) is to educate members and the public on the most important international, national, state and regional issues through engaged nonpartisan conversation.

As Southern California’s largest speaker’s forum, LAWACTH delivers a robust slate of nonpartisan programming on international, national, and regional affairs. Informed learning is provided on the most timely and compelling issues through livestream, in-person, and hybrid programming. Programs are purposely nonpartisan to encourage the presentation of diverse points of view and provide audiences the opportunity to engage with respected leaders and subject matter experts in the fields of government, business, science, and many more.

The Board is comprised of a wide representation of leaders from the business, academic and political community of Los Angeles. The Board meets every quarter. Additionally, an Executive Committee of the Board meets more frequently to address the strategy and operation of the organization.

In its articles of incorporation, LAWACTH is defined as a 501(c)3 civic education organization that cannot advocate for an individual, issue, or any policy. As a nonpartisan organization, the Council does not endorse any point of view or take any institutional stand on issues of public debate.

LAWACTH PROGRAMS:

In-Person Programs

LAWACTH hosts a variety of in-person events each year that bring members and the public together to discuss the timely topics affecting our region, state, country, and world. Through breakfast, lunch, and dinner events, LAWACTH offers a unique opportunity for attendees to meet and network with other community and civic leaders and learn from respected experts. These in-person programs are distinguished by civil dialogue and a commitment among attendees to lifelong learning. 

Livestream Events

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, LAWACTH has produced more than 250 livestreams that have reached an audience across all 50 states. LAWACTH continues to curate several free livestream programs per month featuring diplomats, authors, members of the State Department, and more. These livestream programs are engaging and educational, and audience members can interact directly with speakers through robust Q&A sessions.

Members-Only Events

LAWACTH is a membership organization with a variety of membership levels and associated benefits. Its loyal members anchor this community — representing all ages, races, religions, and walks of life — as they are a microcosm of the cultural diversity to be found in Los Angeles, the United States, and the world. Los Angeles has the second-largest Consular Corps in the world. All Consuls General are honorary members of LAWACTH.

LAWACTH hosts a range of special programs for its members. These include tours of iconic sites in Los Angeles and members-only film screenings showcasing highly lauded international films. Members have exclusive access to intimate Roundtable discussions featuring high-caliber speakers.

Special Programs

LAWACTH’s High School, Young Professionals, and Travel Programs offer special pathways to embody the mission. Committed to nurturing the future generation of engaged citizens and leaders, the High School Program engages high school students from across Los Angeles County. The Young Professionals program brings together a diverse group of emerging leaders with a shared passion for the world. The LAWACTH Travel Program puts the mission into action, bringing member delegations around the world for direct cultural exchange with global leaders, communities, and citizens.

For additional information about LAWACTH, please visit: https://lawacth.org.      

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The President & CEO reports to the Board of Directors and will oversee a budget of approximately $­­­1 million in revenues, $3.2 million in assets and a professional staff of four. The President will provide managerial support and oversight to the following direct reports: the Executive Vice President; Programs and Events Manager; Community Manager; Membership and Communications Coordinator; plus oversight of a variable number of interns and outside vendors. The President & CEO is responsible for ensuring the organizational structure meets the needs of the LAWACTH.

Together with the Board, the President & CEO will provide vision and operational leadership for the organization’s future growth and development. This individual will participate in board-initiated strategic planning processes to make LAWACTH a more vital forum for Angelenos to lead, debate, and discuss micro and macro impacts of the US and Global economies to the Los Angeles Marketplace. The President & CEO will help establish strategic priorities and implement marketing and fundraising programs to ensure that those priorities become a reality. 

The President & CEO is a highly visible representative of LAWACTH and is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with various constituencies including board members, donors, volunteers, and key education, civic, political, and business leaders locally, nationally and internationally.

Specific duties include:

• Facilitate board development including board assessment, recruitment, onboarding and long-term engagement.
• Provide financial oversight to ensure a balanced budget and work with the Board Investment Committee to oversee the endowment and other investments. A key responsibility is to increase revenue through membership, sponsorship, grants, additional fundraising opportunities, and creatively re-envision events and programs to enhance financial stability.
• Develop and execute strategies to monetize products, services, and programming effectively. This includes identifying new revenue streams, optimizing existing ones, and exploring innovative pricing models and partnerships to enhance the organization’s financial sustainability. Track and analyze revenue performance regularly, making data-driven decisions to drive growth and financial stability.
• Conduct periodic by-laws reviews and provide recommendations to the Board to ensure compliance with all regulatory bodies.
• Cultivate, solicit and steward the current donor base, strengthening those relationships while developing new donor relationships.
• Raise the profile and visibility of LAWACTH through an emphasis on communications, marketing, public relations, and press relations. 
• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to ensure the smooth operation of the organization and the accomplishment of key priorities, while appropriately aligning operational strategies with the overall mission and goals.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED:

Leading candidates will embrace the mission of the LAWACTH and will find this work to be important and compelling. The President & CEO will be a dynamic, globally-minded leader with a proven track record to strategically lead the organization to its next level. With an outgoing personality, the President & CEO will demonstrate their ability to deliver as a strong fundraiser and a skilled manager with strategic planning skills, civic networking, and corporate governance as it relates to managing day-to-day operations. The successful candidate will be able to synthesize ideas, clarify issues, and have the depth and pragmatic know-how to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders. It is not enough, however, to be a strong conceptual thinker, strategic planner and generator of ideas; the President & CEO should be able to move from dialogue to decision-making and translate LAWACTH’s vision and priorities into pragmatic and operational critical execution. The next President & CEO must be the catalyst to reinvigorate the substantive legacy and together with the Board, develop a strategic plan for the organization’s future. 

The President & CEO should be able to develop a strong rapport with a variety of stakeholders and lead with an inclusive style that endorses collaboration, teamwork and open communication. The President & CEO will accomplish goals through motivation, the delegation of authority and the use of systems that are designed and established for effective planning, evaluation, accountability, and sensitivity to diverse points of view. In addition, the successful candidate will be a good listener who is accessible and flexible. This individual will have strong interpersonal skills, excellent organizational ability and the capacity to communicate both orally and in writing to a wide variety of stakeholders, both internally and externally. The President & CEO must be confident yet grounded.

CAREER PATH LEADING TO THIS POSITION:

The successful candidate will have a distinguished track record of success in demonstrating progressive responsibility in financial, administrative and operational management in the nonprofit, governmental or for-profit sectors. Candidates should have experience that would demonstrate high functional knowledge of administrative and operations management as well as a motivational leadership style. Successful, broad-based fundraising experience as well as experience working with a board is strongly preferred. Ideally, the successful candidate will have a history of international business experience and/or international government experience, along with a network of international contacts.

COMPENSATION & ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Annual compensation will be $250,000-$275,000 (subject to approval by LAWACTH’s Nominating and Governance Committee), with the potential for an incentive bonus. A comprehensive benefits package will be provided. The President & CEO is expected to have a regular presence in the office and be available for frequent in-person meetings with staff, board members, donors, and community members.