Non-Profit Executive Director

Three Magnolias Family Foundation

Position: Executive Director 

Status: Regular, Full-Time, Exempt 

Reports to: Board of Directors 

About Three Magnolias and Many Fold Farm 

Three Magnolias is a new non-profit based at Many Fold Farm that aims to provide a place for education, inspiration and incubation of farmers and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of agriculture, food and art. Three Magnolias was founded with the goal of creating an anchor farm that supports farm training and incubation in collaboration with the Rodale Institute's Southeastern Organic Center all based at Many Fold Farm. In addition to a farm training program, Three Magnolias will develop programs to educate and support the community in addressing challenges in the Chatt Hills region related to local food systems, regenerative agriculture, farmland preservation and activation, conservation development, workforce housing and youth education in agriculture and entrepreneurship. The Executive Director will help develop and deliver on the goals of the organization by leading the organizations strategic planning, organizational development, program development and farm development. 

Many Fold Farm is a family owned operation managed by a husband and wife team and their families. The 350 acre farm is located in the beautiful Chattahoochee Hill Country, about 35-minutes west-southwest of Atlanta, GA. We are proud to be a part of a burgeoning agricultural economy within a community that seeks to preserve our rural heritage and act as a model for growth that is an antidote to urban sprawl.

On our farm you'll find a small cadre of farmers, family members, interns, volunteers, and employees all attending to the daily needs of our flock of sheep and chickens, happily living on pasture as nature intended. We raise our animals on a grass based system and consider ourselves "grass farmers" who practice management-intensive grazing to ensure healthy pastures and healthy animals. 

Many Fold Farm entered a partnership in early 2019 with The Rodale Institute—an organization that has been at the forefront of Regenerative Agriculture for the past 70 years—in order to open a Regional Resource Center for the Southeast on our farm. This Resource Center has been acting as a learning hub to provide scientific research, economic models, and educational outreach for farmers throughout the Southeast who want to start, transition, or improve their farms using organic and regenerative agricultural practices.

Many Fold Farm and the Rodale Institute share a belief that healthy soil is the key to human health and our ability to survive on our planet. Strong scientific and economic models that allow regenerative organic farmers to compete with conventional agriculture are necessary to shift the paradigm of how we grow our food. Scientific research and high-quality farmer education conducted by both Three Magnolia’s and Rodale’s Southeastern Regional Resource Center will validate and expand truly sustainable agricultural practices in order to save our food system, our planet, and ourselves.

Position Overview 

Three Magnolias seeks an experienced and proven Executive Director (ED) to lead the development of this new land-based non-profit organization and help steward strategic relationships with current and future partners such as the Rodale Institute.  The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of serving in a leadership role of a farm-based non-profit with community-building, education and/or land stewardship initiatives and is comfortable in a startup environment. Many of the key responsibilities in the early years of this position will include startup related projects such as strategic planning, budgeting and fundraising, partnerships and the development of the farm, programs and promoting the culture of the organization, as well as managing the current farm operations. 

The ED will excel at iterative, dynamic strategy development and will successfully collaborate and execute strategic visions in partnership with the leadership team and an emerging board. The ED will oversee the daily operations and execution of all programs of Three Magnolias and be responsible for overseeing the budget, ensuring fiscal transparency and accountability.  The ED will develop and guide a positive, productive work culture and constructively collaborate with staff, board members, funders and partners to drive the mission.  

Essential Duties, Capabilities and Responsibilities:

The ED will work closely with the executive team, board, staff and partners to create strong organizational systems, professional development capacity, and the ability to be fluid and dynamic in service of Three Magnolia’s vision and goals. 

Operational Management:

• Oversee all operational activities and support functions to maximize efficiency, productivity and the long-term sustainability of the organization
• Bridge operational activities and priorities between Three Magnolias,Rodale Institute Southern Organic Center, and any future partnerships
• Oversee the design, implementation, and execution of mission-driven efforts 
• Work with the executive team to lead Three Magnolias strategic planning, program planning and site master planning 
• Lead the planning and implementation of the anchor farm and related farm training programs
• Develop and integrate Three Magnolias programs into overall activities on the land
• Work with CEO and CFO on legal, accounting, insurance and other administrative issues 
• Ensure and oversee the identification and evaluation of opportunities for improvement and implement plans for improvement  
• Supervise negotiations of contracts and agreements with contractors, partners and donors

Organizational Leadership:

• Lead and guide the development of the Board of Directors and a core leadership team including identifying what key staff positions are needed and when, writing job descriptions and supervising the hiring process
• Collaborate with key leaders to develop, implement and track progress toward a strategic plan and organizational goals
• Provide inspirational leadership with confidence, outstanding public presentation skills, transparency and sound judgment.  Serve as spokesperson and chief advocate of Three Magnolias
• Facilitate a generative, robust workplace culture characterized by a deep set of lived values, including land stewardship, curiosity, diversity, inclusivity, creativity, connectivity, and professional development
• Ensure effective recruitment and on-boarding of incoming staff, as well as incorporating learnings from departing staff
• Provide strong ongoing supervision, management and coaching to staff including regular evaluations, accountability and professional development
• Foster a work environment that is results-oriented, intellectually curious, and responsive to opportunity and trends  
• Responsible for HR activities, including recruitment, staff development, evaluations, and release of all personnel
• Develop an effective and cooperative management team, and provide strategic growth opportunities that attract, keep, and motivate a diverse, high-quality staff

Financial Management:

• Lead the structuring of legal incorporation of a new non-profit organization
• Develop a robust fundraising strategy
• Lead, prepare, and manage annual operating and capital budgets in conjunction with the Board of Directors.  Maintain oversight of operations and budget to ensure practical fiscal management
• Oversee the finances, including budgeting, business planning, investment activities, and data management
• Work closely with the CFO and CEO to ensure adherence to and compliance with all charitable, financial, legal and human resource requirements 

Strategic Planning and Vision:

• Create and actualize clear, reasonable and sustainable short-, medium-, and long-term visions and business plans for Three Magnolias. 
• Articulate and implement a shared vision, index of success indicators and measurements, programming schedule, and case statement that reflects the unique mission of Three Magnolias. 
• Oversee Master Planning, Phasing, and Implementation of the Three Magnolia’s property-wide vision
• Maintain a focus on balancing proactive planning with opportunistic nimbleness in order to identify and leverage emerging trends and organizational needs
• Help lead the branding, marketing and communications work for Three Magnolias
• Develop and implement a strategy for monitoring, measuring and sharing the impacts of the organization such as a Theory of Change and Evaluation Plan

Desired Candidate Characteristics and Skills :

• Excellent communication skills including tailored messaging to the circumstance and audience, open and accountable, active listener
• Honed fundraising skills
• Organized and solution oriented
• Ability to lead by example and inspire others
• Holds values aligned with the mission of Three Magnolias
• Passionate and articulate in disseminating knowledge on the ethics of 
• • Respect for the land
  • Commitment to the health and well-being of all species
  • The creation and implementation of an outstanding work environment
  • A commitment to educate the public 
• Ideally holds professional experience or an in-depth understanding of regenerative farming, food systems and community agriculture

Required Experience and minimum qualifications 

• Proven track record in executive leadership positions, ideally with nonprofit organizations
• Experience in strategic planning and implementation
• A Master’s Degree in business, non-profit management (or equivalent), and/or experience with business plan development is preferred
• A collaborative leader with the experience to lead teams of disparate backgrounds and varied expertise through periods of organizational growth
• Commitment to embed and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion within all aspects of the organization
• Exceptional relationship building skills and exemplary work ethic
• A deep personal commitment to the values of human and environmental health, regenerative organic farming, ecology, and sustainability

Reporting:

The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director will be in charge of hiring and managing senior positions, such as the Farm Manager, Program Director, and Development Director. 
 

Compensation:

Three Magnolias offers a salary commensurate with experience and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance and paid time off.

Application:

Please complete the application form and upload your resume and cover letter within the form.  Please contact Lindsay with any questions lindsay@farmerd[dot]com.