Executive Director

Executive Director

Kailee Mills Foundation

Spring, Texas

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with the Kailee Mills Foundation to recruit the organization’s next Executive Director.

The Kailee Mills Foundation is seeking a high-caliber, experienced, and visionary leader with a growth mindset to guide the organization in its mission to reduce fatality and injury from non-seat belt use. This leader will be responsible for expanding its multi-focused programs of awareness, education, and community involvement to a national scale.

Background

The Kailee Mills Foundation was established in 2017 in response to the tragic death of 16-year-old Kailee Mills. Kailee was killed from being ejected from a vehicle after momentarily removing her seat belt to take a selfie. The foundation experienced rapid financial expansion in its early years and is approaching a $1.7 million budget. It now seeks to grow its funding and expand the reach of its programs and impact to a regional and national level.

The foundation’s primary mission is the promotion of seat belt safety, specifically directed toward reducing fatalities and injuries resulting from non-seat belt use, particularly among teens. It also offers financial and emotional support to families experiencing hardship from accidents similar to Kailee’s. It’s vision is a future free from preventable tragedies, where families are whole and lives are saved through seat belt safety.

The organization’s operational model is complex, including advocacy and direct support. Its awareness and education programs include traditional nonprofit functions such as developing and executing school programs, community outreach, and large-scale awareness campaigns, which require expertise in public relations, educational curriculum development, and volunteer management.

In addition, the KaileeCares program provides direct financial assistance, grief counseling, and emotional support to families experiencing loss and hardship from vehicle crashes. The Kailee Mills Foundation also administers a scholarship program to educate teen drivers through research and leadership. This competitive program awards scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to qualified students who desire to be advocates for safety awareness and promote the mission of the Kailee Mills Foundation.

Position Overview

The Executive Director’s role demands a high level of executive skills and a combination of executive competencies. The leader must not only excel in public safety advocacy, fund development, and educational outreach management but also oversee a sensitive direct social service and grant-making portfolio (KaileeCares). It is expected that the Executive Director will office at the Foundation’s headquarters in Spring, TX, where he or she will manage fundraising, programmatic delivery (education), and financial aid disbursement (KaileeCares, Scholarships), simultaneously navigating community engagement, donor relations, grant compliance, and resource allocation. It is anticipated that the Executive Director’s time will include 20% travel outside of the local area for advocacy, donor relations, fundraising, and capacity building.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Management: The Executive Director will provide visionary and strategic leadership to achieve the mission of the Kailee Mills Foundation. This includes developing and executing strategic and operational plans in collaboration with the Board of Directors and leading the growth of the foundation from state to regional and national levels. The Executive Director will be responsible for supervising and growing the current staff of four (in addition to the Executive Director), promoting their professional growth and success, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and overseeing daily operations. The current staff includes a program officer, a public relations and marketing officer, and two development officers.
• Fundraising and Financial Management: The Executive Director will be responsible for helping create a comprehensive fundraising strategy and will oversee all fundraising activities executed with the help of two staff members dedicated to fundraising. Fundraising activities include annual giving campaigns, major gift and grant procurement, corporate sponsorships, and special events. The Executive Director will be expected to participate in cultivating donor relationships and soliciting gifts. The position will also be responsible for managing the foundation's budget, financial operations, and ensuring a sustainable asset base.
• Community Relations and Program Oversight: The Executive Director will support the founders and key board members in their role as the public face of the organization. The successful candidate will promote visibility and strengthen relationships with community partners and stakeholders. This includes overseeing the foundation's programs, such as seat belt safety awareness campaigns, family assistance, and scholarship programs. The Executive Director will also work with the marketing and communications team to develop compelling messaging to support the foundation's mission and growth.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes

• Belief in and passion for the mission of the Kailee Mills Foundation and the ability to effectively communicate the mission to a variety of audiences.
• Bachelor's degree is required.
• A minimum of five to seven years of senior-level management experience and the ability to succeed in a rapidly evolving organization.
• Accountable and models leadership and the values of the organization he/she represents.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and in achieving annual monetary goals and activity benchmarks in fundraising.
• Experience in board development. Experience in strategic planning is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy within an organization and to engage enthusiastically and successfully with individuals.
• A “big-thinker” who is excited to help scale the foundation to state, regional, and national levels.
• A motivator with the ability to build and support a team environment and offer a collaborative, creative approach to empower teammates to do their best, knowing more can be achieved together than alone.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, reliable, and flexible. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and be a driving force who manages toward clarity, finds solutions, and is able to think strategically about the organization. 
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and a demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse groups of people
• Optimistic, resilient, and possessing a positive attitude in approach to challenges
• Respectful and compassionate with regard to others, treating every person with dignity, empathy, and kindness.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to creating an environment where everyone feels valued, encouraged, and empowered.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position is in the range of $120,000. The final salary will be determined based on the background and experience of the selected candidate. The foundation offers a benefits package that includes healthcare, 10 days PTO, sick leave and 8 paid holidays.

Application Process

The search for the Executive Director is being conducted by The Moran Company. To apply for this position, submit a cover letter and resume to Jane Lampo, The Moran Company, jlampo (at) morancompany.com. Resumes should be chronological and include all professional education and experience, with dates of employment (month and year).

Salary : $120,000