Executive Director-Shadows on the Teche

SITE OVERVIEW

Situated on the ancestral land of the Atakapan-Ishak and Chitimacha peoples the Shadows-on-the-Teche is an antebellum home and former site of enslavement in New Iberia Louisiana. Today the property is open to the public and the experiences of those who occupied the property in the 19th and 20th centuries both free and enslaved are shared through tours and public programming.

This site is owned and operated by the National Trust with a significant history shaped by slavery. The Shadows is dedicated to preserving its history through the lens of justice and equity. The site has been using the Engaging Descendant Communities in the Interpretation of Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites rubric to guide its research into the sites true history expanding its storytelling to include the names and stories of enslaved people and engaging local communities of color in a more meaningful and substantial way. One of the outcomes is the creation of a formal partnership with the Iberian African American Historical Society which has an office in the Visitor Center. The property has a rich history related to the arts and partnerships with contemporary artists are also central to efforts to tell its full history and serve the surrounding community. The Shadows is also committed to developing relationships with local Indigenous communities and their cultural institutions as well as other educational and historical institutions for additional partnerships. The site also has an unexplored but dynamic LGBTQ history that the Shadows is committed to interpreting.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche has 5 structures on 3.5 acres including gardens supporting structures programming spaces and offices located in the Visitor Center. The Shadows has also developed strong relationships with area public private independent and parochial schools over the last 30 years. This brings thousands of students to the site every year for special tours and programs especially for 3-5th and 8th graders. There has been an increase in requests for tours from middle and high school teachers.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche opened in 1961 with the mission to preserve the buildings landscape collections and historical integrity of the site; research and interpret through education programs a 19th century southern Louisiana plantation economy and community and their evolution; and encourage an appreciation of and interest in historic preservation.

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director (ED) serves as the leader of Shadows-on-the-Teche historic site a property owned and operated by the National Trust for the Historic Preservation. A key focus of this role is strategic revenue generation to ensure long-term sustainability and growth. The ED will explore earned income opportunities drive fundraising efforts cultivate strategic partnerships and ensure operational excellence in alignment with the organizations mission and values. This leader will ensure that the Shadows embodies best practices in historic preservation interpretation education collections management and financial operations. This leader will make this historic site highly relevant today by exemplifying equity inclusion justice and diversity in all aspects of its operation.

The ED will develop ethical and equitable community partnerships and strategic institutional partnerships including K-12 school partners that will impact community-based programming. This leader will develop and maintain a community presence and ensure that relevant programming and activities directly serve local needs and are drivers for long-term viability of the site. This leader will work in close collaboration with the Iberia African American Historical Society to accomplish these goals.

The ED will be positioned full-time at the Shadows and will manage full-time staff of 3 and an additional 6 part-time guide and facilities staff. This leader will provide daily leadership and strategic direction to the other full-time positions to ensure cohesive and effective operations and comprehensive meaningful impact of mission-related activities. The ED is responsible for developing and maintaining a collaborative and proactive management structure that allows the entire site team to work together with clarity strategic integration and accountability. To effectively carry out these responsibilities the ED must exhibit a collaborative solution-oriented management style. This position will report to SVP for Historic Sites and will work in collaboration with National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) headquarters staff especially the Historic Sites Departments technical support positions in collections finance interpretation and architecture as well as staff in the Trusts legal public affairs marketing fundraising and other departments.

Duties:

Leadership

• Build visitation engage new and repeat visitors analyze and evolve tours and improve revenue.
• Model leadership for site staff aligned with National Trust values and best practices.
• Continue to lead the development and expansion of the partnership with the Iberia African American Historical Society. Lead the site to integrate Justice Equity Diversity Access and Inclusion measures site-wide and ensure metrics are tracked targets are reached and ensure timely maturation of the site in these practices
• Develop a site advisory council including identification of needs capacities and recruitment materials. Lead ongoing council meetings communications events and philanthropy by individual members.
• Act as spokesperson for the site monitor site brand and messaging and ensure alignment with National Trust brand and messaging.
• Work with the National Trusts Historic Sites SVP and Historic Sites Department technical support team Site Staff and Advisory Council and greater community to create a new dynamic strategic plan for the site in alignment with the National Trust and manage the implementation.
• Implement operational programming and funding plans for a financially sustainable site. The Executive Director will be qualified and experienced in monitoring budgets and the strategic plan using performance measures.

Financial and Operations Management

• Develop manage and maintain a balanced operating budget including tracking expenses and meeting revenue goals. Ensure that monthly and annual financial reports required by NTHP HQ are completed in a timely and accurate manner working with NTHP Senior Director of Sites Administration.
• Work with staff to design plans to creatively develop and increase earned-revenue sources.
• Work with the National Trust direct reports and the Human Resources Department as needed to identify respond to and resolve performance issues as they arise. Monitor and approve timekeeping and related budget for direct reports.
• Oversee collections management activities in collaboration with the John & Neville Bryan Director of Museum Collections.
• Ensure agreements and contracts are aligned and appropriate.

Interpretation Education and Public Programs

• Lead the expansion of full and truthful interpretation and public programming at the site especially relating to the sites African American Indigenous peoples LGBTQ gender and plantation histories at the site the broader community and in the region.
• Supervise retain and recruit well-qualified and diverse staff and guide the development of workplans. Organize overall workflow. Monitor direct reports productivity and performance provide constructive feedback and coaching and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Work closely with the Director of Interpretation and Education for National Trust Historic Sites on updating tour scripts student and family programs exhibitions and interpretive planning so that the Shadows can tell more inclusive nuanced and contextualized stories of the site including appropriate training coordination and staffing of school tours and special student programs.
• Collaborate with or supervise collaborations with educators school leaders and curriculum developers in order to ensure that the Shadows provides engaging truthful and developmentally appropriate and relevant programming and tours for students of various ages and family groups.

Fundraising and Marketing

• The Executive Director is responsible for individual corporate foundation and government fundraising to ensure growth and support for ongoing preservation and site operations to meet or exceed budget targets and expand the sites reserves to sustain its long-term operations. They will work with and also continue the development of a diverse and inclusive advisory council to achieve the sites financial self-sufficiency and to strengthen governance practices in keeping with the National Trusts vision for its historic sites.
• Create and manage a portfolio of prospects in consultation with NTHP Development staff through solicitation and engage others in the cultivation and solicitation process.
• Develop and implement targeted fundraising and donor cultivation events and tours.
• Manage strategy and tracking systems to involve a wide variety of new individual donors and ensure donor recognition.
• Work closely with site staff to develop collateral materials and website upkeep and to develop and implement communications sales outreach booking budgets and marketing plans.

Site Management

• Work closely with the Senior Director of Preservation Architecture (Graham Gund Architect) to develop and monitor major repair or capital projects and ensure the maintenance staff are aligned with NTHP architectural standards.
• During emergency events such as during severe storms implement the appropriate plans and take measures to protect the property and communicate to appropriate emergency and HQ staff.

Marketing PR and Promotions

• Implement a plan to promote site programming at the local national and international levels through social media group tour outreach tourism bureaus and new partnerships. Work with Shadows Manager of Marketing and NTHP Marketing Division on major initiatives.
• Ensure robust social media presence and updated informative website keeping up with available technologies and current site interpretations.

Qualifications:

• A life-long learner committed to exploring engaging with and sharing the histories of people of color the LGBTQ community women and other underrepresented groups with the public even when the topic may seem challenging.
• Demonstrated success in inclusive community outreach utilizing historic places to advance justice and equity and managing organizational change.
• Stays current with new research and/or is enthusiastic about incorporating new information artifacts perspectives or interpretation strategies into their work
• Exhibits curiosity about humanity when engaging with different perspectives
• Demonstrated ability to use mission-based communication strategies that help visitors forge emotional and intellectual connections between their interests and the resources and meanings inherent in our site.
• Enthusiastic about using interpretation best practices to provoke deeper thinking and emotional investment in our site.
• A people-person who enjoys listening deeply answering questions and sharing information
• At least 8 years of professional level experience overall including at least 5 years of experience in an executive capacity. Prior work in the cultural heritage/museum/historic sites field is preferred with experience engaging stakeholders on and managing interpretation of issues relating to slavery African-American history or related topics a plus. Relevance of experience and size and type of organization worked for may be taken into account when considering background/qualifications.
• Demonstrable commitment to honest and vibrant interpretation rooted in scholarship arts diversity justice and equity.
• Commitment to and experience with implementing DEIA policies
• Proven direct fundraising success including donor cultivation grant-writing annual funds and membership development. Experience in capital campaigns optimal.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and skill set with business development experience and ability to be flexible in a dynamic work environment.
• Demonstrated success budgeting staffing and supervising professionals and leading teams to generate high quality results.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills including issue identification and prioritization.
• Advanced project-management team-management and client-management skills. Ability to achieve results with limited supervision.
• Personable style with effective presentation skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to articulate the sites mission to a wide range of audiences in a variety of ways.
• Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience successfully managing key internal and external stakeholders and relationships. Proven ability to collaborate across departments to implement processes and achieve results.
• Demonstrated success in marketing to and engaging diverse audiences and partners. Connections within culturally diverse professional and social affinity organizations are a plus.
• When working on-site public contact and the ability to work successfully near others are required. When working off-site the ability to work effectively and independently in a remote environment maintaining productivity and communications to manage and motivate staff virtually and meet deadlines and goals is required.
• Ability to prioritize multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion. Ability to work effectively with frequent interruptions and to handle frequently changing and/or unscheduled tasks with accuracy.
• Proven ability to continually develop skills related to use of rapidly changing technology and communications best practices. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required.
• Effective combination of work experience and studies training and/or certifications in fields related to business non-profit management museum studies and/or African-American History or other relevant field of cultural studies preferred.
• Regular and reliable attendance required
• Limited travel required.