Chief Executive Officer

EBALDC has increased the salary range for this position. East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) seeks a highly strategic and collaborative Chief Executive Officer to build on our 48-year community commitment and to expand and deepen our impact on building healthy, vibrant, and safe neighborhoods in Oakland and the East Bay. Working in close partnership with the staff, the Board of Directors and external partners, the CEO will catalyze and advance EBALDC’s vital place-based contributions to the East Bay comprehensive community development ecosystem in underserved BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) communities.

The Organization

East Bay Asian Community Development Corporation (EBALDC)’s origins trace back to 1975, when community leaders, students and activists mobilized around the goal of transforming a deteriorated warehouse into a home of grassroots nonprofits serving Oakland’s Chinatown through the creation of the Asian Resource Center. Now in our 49th year, EBALDC’s mission “Emphasizing our historic and continuing commitment to Asian and Pacific Islander communities, EBALDC works with and for all the diverse populations of the East Bay to build healthy, vibrant and safe neighborhoods through community development.” – is more important than ever.

As a BIPOC-led organization, EBALDC develops and manages diverse, mixed-income and mixed-use developments and provides vital social and financial services to help give long-time, low-income residents the ability to stay in their Oakland and East Bay (Alameda and Contra Costa counties) neighborhoods. EBALDC’s comprehensive economic opportunities programs serve 6,000 people annually and its communities are located throughout the East Bay. EBALDC is a close partner with the City of Oakland, developing a significant portion of the city’s affordable housing portfolio.

Areas of business include:

  • Neighborhood Collaborations: Forging thoughtful partnerships in Oakland to improve the social, economic and physical conditions in neighborhoods. Through the Resident and Community Services program, EBALDC provides culturally relevant on-site services at EBALDC’s family and senior residential developments including individual counseling, connection to public benefits, senior services, computer training, ESL, wellness services, and referral services.
  • Real Estate Development: Building and preserving affordable housing, commercial spaces and mixed-use, mixed-income projects in Oakland and across other cities in the East Bay, and acquiring existing multifamily properties and stabilizing the rents for current residents.
  • Economic Opportunities: Providing low-income individuals and families within EBALDC properties and the greater community with services and resources to stabilize their financial situations, generate income, and develop asset-building tools through 1:1 financial coaching, workforce development, and income tax preparation.
  • Property Management: : Providing affordable apartments for low-income individuals and families and providing affordable commercial spaces as homes for community serving non-profit organizations, retail businesses and service providers.

We recognize and build upon the assets unique to each community to inform and establish thoughtful partnerships that address the social factors impacting a neighborhood’s health and well-being. This comprehensive perspective helps families and individuals begin a path toward healthy, stable and fulfilling lives in a holistic, sustainable way.

Governed by a 20-member Board of Directors, EBALDC has a current annual operating budget of $13 million. EBALDC has a current staff of 140 talented professionals, with a 7-person executive leadership team that includes the CEO, CFO, Executive Vice Presidents for Real Estate Development, Community Building, and Property Operations; and Vice Presidents for Human Resources and Resource Development & Communications.

Values Based in Our Healthy Neighborhoods Approach
Our Healthy Neighborhoods Approach to community development began 13 years ago and now is a national model. We focus on achieving four core community impacts in historically underserved BIPOC communities: 1) expanding affordable rental housing options; 2) expanding income and wealth-building opportunities; 3) increasing resident and community engagement; and 4) supporting strong neighborhood partnership networks. EBALDC’s identity as a pioneering Healthy Neighborhoods developer is a key differentiator for us in the field.

Research shows that our health and well-being is dependent on a range of interconnected racial, social, economic, and physical factors that impact the environments where people live, learn, work, and play. Through our Healthy Neighborhoods Approach, EBALDC works with coalitions of residents, community partners, businesses, and public agencies to understand the needs and priorities of specific neighborhoods. We build on strategic partnerships and collaborations and leverage strengths to have the greatest impact on those priorities.

Organizational Transition
EBALDC is in an important transition period focused on organizational transformation, leadership and culture. The former chief executive departed earlier in 2023, and the former CFO left in 2022. The organization has engaged a professional Interim CEO to provide leadership; she will continue to serve in the role until a CEO begins. EBALDC has also engaged an interim CFO team to provide financial leadership and stability and serve as an onboarding partner to the incoming CEO. The current senior team includes several long-standing EBALDC team members that bring both technical experience and an understanding of the communities EBALDC serves. EBALDC has invested in thoughtful assessment of the organization, including a comprehensive SWOT analysis, which the new CEO can build on as they lead the work to ensure mission impact and organizational sustainability into the future.

To learn more about EBALDC, please visit ebaldc.org.

The Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO provides leadership both inside and outside the organization, continually increasing the organization’s mission impact. EBALDC is at an inflection point, positioned to make thoughtful decisions around the organization’s strategic direction over its next decade of service and impact in the East Bay community.

Priorities

  • Community Impact
    • Build on EBALDC’s nearly 50-year history of aligning community building and its deep commitment to the East Bay community, and clearly communicate EBALDC’s unique differentiators and value.
    • Reposition and align EBALDC’s visibility with strategic/long-term planning that reflects current market, community and economic conditions, organizational positioning and footprint to lift narrative and impact.
  • Relationship Building
    • Sustain the passion for and dedication to mission impact by building a culture of trust, shared leadership and collaboration with members of the staff, Board and advisors that fosters a strong organizational collaborative culture and morale.
    • Develop, maintain, strengthen and steward relationships with political leaders, partner organizations, investors, lenders, funders, policymakers, and coalitions of residents in the East Bay communities served.
    • Utilize EBALDC’s upcoming 50th anniversary as an opportunity to galvanize support, funding and collective commitment to the future of the organization.
  • Business Planning/Management and Governance
    • Strengthen, reposition and stabilize the organization’s financial health in the wake of the after-effects of the pandemic.
    • Assess and develop near-term and long-term strategies to sustain core lines of business.
    • Work with the Board of Directors to fill vacancies as they arise with individuals that hold identified needs and review and improve Committee structure and governance.
    • Lead and activate a long-range planning process to strengthen mission impact, operational effectiveness and financial sustainability

Key Responsibilities

The CEO will provide leadership to the organization by simultaneously managing its day-to-day affairs and leading organizational transformation. Primary responsibilities include:

  • Working with the Board of Directors and staff to develop a transformational vision for the future of the organization and determining the path for achieving that vision.
  • Identifying opportunities for strategies and partnerships that will advance the goals and impact of the organization in alignment with community wants and needs.
  • Maintaining a fine-tuned knowledge of the market, the communities served by EBALDC, and the political environment in which the organization operates to identify challenges, threats, and innovative strategies for the success of the organization.
  • Maintaining, strengthening, and growing relationships critical to the organization’s success and position, including relationships with investors, lenders, elected officials, government agency leaders, foundation officers, non-profit leaders, policy advocates, and the media.
  • Serving as the face and voice of EBALDC and providing effective internal and external communication, brand positioning and narrative change.
  • Fostering and inspiring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that builds on and advances shared and collaborative leadership development.
  • Effectively overseeing the human and financial resources of the corporation at a level which achieves positive impact in accordance with corporate objectives.

Skills and Attributes

Successful candidates for this position will share a commitment EBALDC’s mission and will bring to the role a variety of experiences and attributes including:

Background & Experience

  • Proven leadership experience in a multi-racial, BIPOC-serving organization with a similar mission and scale.
  • Experience leading an organization through a transition, repositioning or innovation preferred.
  • 10+ years of executive level experience in affordable housing, neighborhood development, community development and/or economic development.
  • Experience building relationships with and working effectively with or for community partners (local government agencies, resident groups, community-based organizations, businesses, funders).
  • Understanding of the current conditions and challenges facing the community development sector, with the experience needed to position EBALDC to maximize opportunities that leverage core competencies.
  • Experience and demonstrated commitment to low-income BIPOC communities. Experience or understanding of the East Bay region preferred.

Skills & Attributes

  • Exceptional staff/team management experience; an inclusive, courageous, inspirational, and collaborative leader who can balance strategy and action and who is emotionally intelligent.
  • Strategic innovator with excellent problem-solving skills, ability to assess and understand risk, and leadership savvy to build trust and engage collaboratively in effecting a pivot.
  • Effective relationship builder with BIPOC cultural humility, relational intelligence and political acumen.
  • Exceptional written and oral communications skills and style, including listening, working collaboratively, and representing an organization in a variety of internal and external environments.
  • Strong business acumen, including responsibility for stewarding and strengthening an organization’s long-term financial health and sustainability.
  • Experience with fundraising across philanthropic, corporate and public sectors; someone who is excited to bring external funders together in partnership to achieve shared objectives.
  • Experience in policy/advocacy strategies that continue to shape relationships with opportunities to shape policies that benefit underserved people of color in community development and affordable housing.

Work Environment & Benefits

The initial annual salary range for this position is $275,000-$300,000. EBALDC’s main office is in Oakland’s vibrant Uptown neighborhood, known for its creative and artistic spaces. EBALDC offers a hybrid work environment for the 90+ employees who report into the main office. In this role, we envision the CEO spending considerable time in the office to help drive meaningful collaboration and thoughtful engagement across the organization. EBALDC offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance; 403(b) retirement plan; paid holidays and amazing paid time off.

Application Process
To apply, upload a resume and cover letter that conveys your interest in this leadership opportunity by clicking here. Please contact Shreya Mahatwo at Shreya.Mahatwo@marcumllp.com if you experience technical difficulties submitting your materials or if you are a qualified candidate with a disability and require an accommodation.

For other inquiries about this leadership opportunity, contact Jill Fioravanti at jill.fioravanti@marcumllp.com. No other application materials will be reviewed at this time. Resume reviews begin immediately.

EBALDC is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic organization committed to working in multicultural communities, and strongly encourages minorities, people of color and women to apply for our employment opportunities. EBALDC is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit, including the applicant’s ability to champion EBALDC mission, values and organizational culture. EBALDC wants to have the best available persons in every job. EBALDC is an equal opportunity employer and our policies prohibit unlawful discrimination on any basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation.

About Marcum’s Nonprofit & Social Sector Group

On behalf of EBALDC, Marcum’s Nonprofit & Social Sector Group is working with the Board of Directors to advance the search. Founded in 1984, we are, and always have been, a mission-driven professional services firm seeking to do more for nonprofits and socially conscious companies. We exist to do meaningful work for organizations like EBALDC who are making a difference in our communities and our world. Learn more about our work at Marcum – Nonprofit & Social Sector.