Mission

History

Job Description

Mission

The Alliance for the Revitalization of Camden City is dedicated to invigorating civil society through a robust civic engagement process that insures meaningful public participation in the City’s recovery.

ARCC will pursue this mission by:

• Insuring that community and regional voices are heard throughout the recovery effort;
• Providing a forum through which all interests in the civic engagement process can develop a common agenda and workable implementation strategies;
• Establishing clear benchmarks to monitor and evaluate progress on political and social as well as economic goals in Camden’s recovery;
• Acting as an advocate for the implementation of important public and private projects, programs and policies;
• Facilitating connection among Camden’s people, regional stakeholders and government leaders at all levels.

Background

Responding to an historic new community building opportunity now available to Camden, New Jersey, two prominent faith-based organizations in the city and a region-wide partnership of business and civic leaders have joined together to sponsor the Alliance for the Revitalization of Camden City (ARCC). ARCC has been created to promote and help guide the revitalization of the city through organized civic participation by Camden residents and to generate broad-based, multi-sectoral collaboration within the region.

Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP), Concerned Black Clergy (CBC), and the Greater Camden Partnership (GCP) have raised $200,000 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation to support the start up and first-year operations of what is envisioned as a vibrant, comprehensive five-year civic engagement process to work in conjunction with a state-sponsored initiative to support Camden’s economic revitalization and rehabilitation of its municipal agencies and services.

In July 2002, the New Jersey legislature passed, and Governor McGreevey signed, the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act. The Act provides $175 million in bond financing to support a variety of revitalization activities in Camden’s downtown area and in the neighborhoods. To guide the catalytic use of these funds to stimulate substantial new private investment in Camden, among other provisions the Act authorized the creation of the Economic Recovery Board (ERB) as a subsidiary of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to oversee preparation of a strategic revitalization plan for the city. It also created the position of the Chief Operating Officer, who is appointed by the Governor to a five-year term to oversee city operations and begin rebuilding the management capabilities and infrastructure of municipal agencies. Finally, the Act gives the Governor and Camden’s Mayor extraordinary authority to appoint members to Camden’s Board of Education and to intervene in setting Board policy.

The three sponsoring organizations, which have established themselves as credible and competent agents for change in Camden, collaborated over the last two years in galvanizing broad support by residents and regional stakeholders for passage of the recovery legislation. Their priority is now focused on ensuring that: (1) the recovery truly benefits Camden’s children, families, and neighborhoods; (2) Camden’s various stakeholders emerge with a road map that will guide the city’s recovery; and, (3) Camden develops the civic capacity to sustain progress well into the future.

By creating a robust level of citizen participation in the development of Camden’s recovery agenda, ARCC intends to: build on Camden’s assets; unify diverse constituencies; improve basic services to residents and businesses; seed greater voter participation; spark greater accountability from public officials; enhance Camden’s ability to leverage its share of public resources; send a message to potential business owners and homeowners that Camden has “gotten its act together”; define Camden’s role in the region; and explore regional responses to the challenges Camden faces.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALLIANCE FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF CAMDEN CITY (ARCC)

Summary: Under the general direction of the Steering Committee, the Executive Director provides overall direction and coordination for all activities of the organization, ensuring that the Alliance for the Revitalization of Camden City (ARCC) fulfills its mission, meets its performance objectives, and remains financially viable.

Responsibilities: The incumbent is responsible for the management of the organization’s operations, including organizational development, fiscal and administrative management, internal and external communications, supervision and oversight of staff and consultants, coordination of volunteers, evaluation of program effectiveness, and fundraising activities.

In fulfilling these duties, the incumbent will:

• Serve as the principal liaison between the Steering Committee and funders, staff, vendors, volunteers, government, partner organizations, and the general public;
• In conjunction with the Steering Committee, formulate detailed work plans to guide both long-range and short-term program activities – including the activities of designated Working Groups - in keeping with ARCC’s program goals and budgetary realities;
• Establish written policies and procedures and undertake all necessary steps to ensure cogent financial management, adequate liability protections, the best use of resources, and the smooth functioning of ARCC’s operations, including preparation of monthly program and financial reports;
• Develop an appropriate organization structure and effective work systems;
• Manage and oversee staff, consultants, and volunteers to ensure that program activities and projects are carried out effectively and efficiently;

• Develop work plans and a schedule of meetings for Working Groups focused on selected issues in order to provide benefits to Camden’s youth, families, and neighborhoods both from the State-sponsored revitalization initiative and based on activities not provided for in that program;
• Establish and maintain working relationships with City, County, and State policy makers to stay apprised of and to have influence on policies and actions affecting the work of ARCC;
• Establish and maintain working relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and information exchanges with business, non-profit, and community leaders and organizations whose roles are relevant to the work of ARCC; and,
• Develop a framework of initiatives pertinent to ARCC’s mission for community outreach and public information and education, including sponsorship and coordination of ongoing and special events and the use of multi-media materials and techniques.

Qualifications: ARCC’s Executive Director must have positive personal attributes and outstanding skills and experience in several areas, including:

• Commitment to improving conditions for children, families, and communities in distressed circumstances;
• Capacity to envision a Camden that is fully reintegrated into its regional economy in a manner that accrues benefits to all residents and that is helping to strengthen the politics, economy, and culture of southern New Jersey;
• Knowledge of Community Building principles, values, and practices that can guide a strong, community-driven change process to improve existing conditions in Camden;
• Organizational management and development skills that facilitate building an effective, cohesive, and resilient organization, including designing, monitoring, and adjusting work flows and procedures;
• Analytic skills, both in collecting and interpreting data of various kinds and in using experience and intuition to complement the interpretation of available data;
• Problem solving skills that include gathering and analyzing information strategically and working effectively in group problem solving situations;
• Strategic thinking ability and change management skills required to understand the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, build needed relationships, and adapt to both prevailing and changing conditions in ways that achieve the organization’s goals;
• Team leadership skills with which to build and sustain group motivation and commitment to goals and objectives, and that fosters a positive, collaborative environment;
• Communications skills required for speaking and writing clearly and persuasively in both supportive and challenging situations; ability to listen well, to grasp and interpret complex information, and to contribute to group presentations; and,
• Personal ethics and integrity that are in keeping with ARCC’s mission and values and that inspire respect and trust for the person and the organization.

Education: Preferred Master’s degree in Business Management, Public Administration, Law, Social Work or equivalent combination of professional education and five to ten years of related field experience.