Goldman Environmental Foundation (Executive Director)

7/15/2019 Goldman Environmental Foundation (Executive Director)

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Position DescriptionExecutive Director Goldman Environmental Prize

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Position Description

Page 1

Executive Director

Goldman Environmental Prize

The Goldman Environmental Foundation, which funds and awards the Goldman Environmental Prize,seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization and nurture an iconic and unique philanthropic program of global visibility and consequence.

Our Client

Grassroots environmental heroes too often go unrecognized. Yet their efforts to protect the world’snatural resources are increasingly critical to the well-being of the planet we all share. Thus, in 1989San Francisco civic leaders and philanthropists Richard N. Goldman (1920-2010) and his wife, RhodaH. Goldman (1924-1996) created the Goldman Environmental Prize.

The Goldman Prize continues today with its original mission to annually honor grassrootsenvironmental heroes from the six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands andIsland Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personalrisk. Each winner receives an award of $150,000, the largest award in the world for grassrootsenvironmentalists. The Goldman Prize views “grassroots” leaders as those involved in local andregional efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in theissues that affect them. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.

The Goldman Prize is now led by a Board of Directors compr ised by Richard and Rhoda’s children:

Douglas E. Goldman, Susan R. Gelman, and John D. Goldman. Based in San Francisco, theFoundation has an annual operating budget of approximately $5million, an endowment of approximately $120million, and a staff of eight. For further information on the Prize and the

Foundation, please visit http://www.goldmanprize.org/

Goldman Prize Nominations

Each spring, the Goldman Environmental Foundation receives nominations from a pre-selected groupof environmental experts from around the world.

http://www.goldmanprize.org/






Goldman Environmental Prize nominators work in a broad range of fields, including environmental justice, indigenous rights, natural resource protection, biodiversity conservation, citizen advocacy,environmental health, land management, human rights, and many more. Their on-the-groundknowledge and worldwide reach enable us to identify many of the world’s most inspiring grassroots

environmental leaders. Nominators include:

A diverse group of organizations working on environmental issues world-wide; and

A confidential panel of over 150 environmental experts from more than 70 nations, includingcitizen activists, distinguished environmentalists working in the field, and prominent policymakers.

Foundation staff research nominations thoroughly, drawing on the resources of nominatingorganizations and individuals. The identities of nominees remain confidential throughout both thenomination and research processes. Final selections are made by the Goldman Environmental PrizeJury, which combines the commitment of the Foundation's Board of Directors with the expertise of distinguished environmentalists.

Selection Criteria:

The following premises guide the Goldman Environmental Prize Jury in selecting Prize winners:

Recent achievements that have enhanced the environment and inspired others are thefoundation for recognition;

Grassroots initiatives are given priority over scientific, academic or governmental activities;

Private citizens are given priority over executives of large NGOs;

Government employees are eligible only for work outside the scope of their officialresponsibilities; and

The Prize is not a lifetime achievement award, nor is it given posthumously.

The Goldman Environmental Prize staff and jury give particular consideration to issues or geographicareas not yet recognized by the global community or the Prize. Recipients are often recognized near the time of a significant accomplishment and before they become well-known. While the GoldmanEnvironmental Prize recognizes the importance of communities and organizations in many activists’

work, nominations of one individual are given preference.

The Prize Recipients

The work of Goldman Prize recipients often focuses on protecting endangered ecosystems and species,combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice. Prize recipients are often women and men from isolatedvillages or inner cities who chose to take great personal risks to safeguard the environment.

The Goldman Prize amplifies the voices of these grassroots leaders and provides them with:

International recognition that enhances their credibility;

Worldwide visibility for the issues they champion; and



Financial support of $150,000 to pursue their vision of a renewed and protected environment.

Each year has brought its own inspiring moments. In 2001, jailed environmental activist Rodolfo

Montiel Flores (Mexico, 2000) was released, in part because Goldman Prize winners and jurorstraveled to Mexico to demand his release. In 2003, Marina Silva (Brazil, 1996), a former rubber tapper, became Minister of the Environment in Brazil. In 2004, Goldman Prize recipient Wangari Maathai(Kenya, 1991) received the Nobel Peace Prize, the first environmentalist to win the prestigious prize. Nine months after the 2005 Goldman Prize ceremony Corneille Ewango (Democratic Republic of Congo, 2005) and his wife, Esialambele, named their new daughter Rhoda.

The Role

Based in San Francisco and reporting to and working with the Board of Directors, the ExecutiveDirector is responsible for daily and long-term management of the organization and the preparation of

the annual Goldman Environmental Prize.The Executive Director’s responsibilities include:

As Executive Director, leading the development and implementation of the organization’smission, policies, strategies;

Representing the Goldman Environmental Prize to recipients, nominators, evaluators, media,and the general public;

Overseeing and managing all financial and administrative aspects of the organization’soperations;

Providing direction, stewardship, and oversight over a rigorous process searching for accomplished and creative individuals in all areas of environmental concern and from all walks

of life who show particular promise of making important contributions in the future;Facilitating the process by which nominations are gathered and reviewed, exercising sound judgment throughout, to provide the Prize Jury with an exceptional pool of potential awardrecipients;

Respecting the Prize’s promise of confidentiality and anonymity, and maintaining completediscretion regarding the identities of all participants and their views;

Coordinating with and engaging the external nominating organizations throughout thenominating cycle. Building relationships with additional environmental organizations to expandthe reach of the nominating process;

Developing a positive and productive working relationship with the Foundation’s Board;Ensuring that the organization’s strategic, operational, and reputational objectives are aligned

with those of the Board overall; partnering to develop a clear vision for the organization’sfuture.

Managing and promoting a collaborative working environment that capitalizes on diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills to accomplish Prize and Foundation goals;



Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have had varied senior leadership experience in both the nonprofit andcorporate sectors. Ideally, s/he will bring demonstrated passion for the critical environmental issues of our times whether through professional or personal engagement in environmental concerns.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlightthe following:

Vision and Strategic Direction Setting

The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to hone and implement a strategy to further themission of an organization. His or her professional and personal accomplishments will reflect a broadranging intellectual capacity, curiosity, and passion for the range of issues and subjects across theenvironmental arena. A creative thinker, the candidate will respect the Prize’s accomplishments todate andyet also be able to craft a compelling vision for its future growth and development.

Leadership

The successful candidate will have demonstrated the interpersonal skills and intellect needed toeffectively lead an organization through a period of transition. S/he will reflect a comfort working witha wide range of constituents to achieve consensus, negotiate disagreement, and focus upon sharedgoals. Through persuasion, influence, and relationship building, this individual will be able to motivateand engage a diverse and talented staff towards common action. The successful candidate must beattracted to this because of the opportunity to highlight the actions and impact of the Prize Winners,rather than furthering a specific personal agenda or his or her own career advancement. The utmostintegrity and impeccable judgment is required.

Management

The successful candidate will demonstrate the operational and organizational skills needed to managethe staff and financial resource of the Prize. S/he will be able to facilitate a flawless selection processand interact effectively with the numerous constituent groups involved including the Board, Prize Jury,and Nominating Organizations. S/he will be a collegial and collaborative person who will add valuenot only to the Prize, but to the organization overall. The candidate will demonstrate comfort workingwith colleagues who are more accomplished in their respective fields and will have experienceidentifying and hiring the right talent to further an organization’s goals.

Communication and Marketing

In partnership with the family, the successful candidate will be the public face of the GoldmanEnvironmental Prize. To do so effectively, the successful candidate must possess outstanding oraland written communication skills and experience externally representing an organization to a broad set of audiences that includes the traditional and new forms of media, including an appreciation



for the ways in which technology can be leveraged to tell the Prize’s story as broadly and effectively

as possible.

Contact

Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search, and prospective candidates areinvited to contact Russell Reynolds Associates directly. All inquiries and discussions will be consideredstrictly confidential.

Jamie Hechinger Russell Reynolds Associates1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWSuite 400Washington, DC 20006-5805

Direct: +1-202-654-7839 [email protected]

Laurie NashRussell Reynolds Associates101 California StreetSuite 2900San Francisco, CA 94111-5858Direct: [email protected]

Goldman Environmental Foundation (Executive Director)

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