Executive Director Position Announcement

John Fawcett-Long (jfawcett@u.washington.edu)
Mon, 13 Jan 1997 14:31:28 -0800 (PST)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

The Food Alliance is seeking an executive director to provide overall
leadership for this emerging nonprofit organization. Work with a
talented team and be a national leader in agriculture and the environment
and eco-label development.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Activities to include program coordination and development, fundraising,
strategic planning, public relations and outreach. Specific position
expectations include:

* creating an orderly transition from the current project to a
self-sustaining organization, including the obtaining of sufficient
funding and coordinating the activities of affiliated project staff;
* continuing to develop the projects regional ecolabel program;
* expanding collaborative networking with other ecolabel programs;
* maintaining an effective and active Board of Directors.

We are looking for someone with excellent leadership, networking,
managerial, and communication skills as well as expertise in the
agriculture and food industries. We seek an experienced leader and
spokesperson (to promote the organization and market incentives), with a
willingness to travel, and a commitment to improving the agricultural and
food system. Experience in marketing is desirable. Applicants should
possess strong interpersonal skills, take initiative and be resourceful.

We will establish an office in Washington or Oregon. Salary DOE,
excellent benefits. The application deadline is February 21 or until
suitable applicants are found.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit a resume, three references (including people associated with your
recent experience), and a cover letter of no more than two pages to Miles
McEvoy, Project Director, The Food Alliance, c/o WSDA, P.O. Box 42560,
Olympia, WA 98504-2560.

THE FOOD ALLIANCE

The Food Alliance (TFA) is a collaborative project of food system interest
groups based in the Pacific Northwest seeking to create equitable and
responsible solutions to the problems currently facing agriculture. A
major project of TFA is to create a self-sustaining organization that
links farmers, food processors and distributors, environmentalists, and
consumers in an alliance to provide technical support and market
incentives for expanded grower use of sustainable farming systems in the
Pacific Northwest.

In July 1994, organizing members received four years of support from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Integrated Farming System Initiative. A Board of
Directors composed of representatives from each of the interest groups
(growers, processors/packers, buyers, consumers, environmental groups, and
farm labor) provides overall direction to TFA.

TFA sponsors farm improvement and on-farm research activities, addressing
orchard issues in central Washington and row crop vegetable issues in
Oregons Willamette valley. TFA has also commissioned nationwide consumer
research on opinions of produce grown in an environmentally sensitive
manner.

Project Goals

1. Expand the use of sustainable agriculture systems by identifying,
developing, and utilizing market and other incentives.

2. Expand the use of sustainable agriculture systems through
technical support and on-farm research.

3. Build self-sustaining organizations from the diverse food system
stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest that promote the mission of The Food
Alliance.

Principles:
1. Sustainable farming systems are science-based systems which integrate
the management of human and natural resources to enhance and protect the
environment and improve the quality of life for farmers and farm workers.
Modern technology, including appropriate agricultural chemicals and
bioengineering, plays a role in sustainable farming systems.

2. Stewardship means managing natural and human resources in a manner that
enhances the environment and the quality of life for farmers and farm
workers, and conserves natural resources for future generations.

3. The Stewardship Program is based on commitment to TFA goals and steady
progress towards those goals (rather than a specific list of materials and
practices).

4. Growers and processors who market in association with TFA are committed
to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources for future
generations.

5. The agricultural industry has an ongoing responsibility to address
environmental issues, i.e. water conservation, groundwater contamination,
soil erosion, water quality, the toxicity of agricultural chemicals and
habitat management.

6. An alliance of food system stakeholders provides the strength to affect
changes toward a more sustainable agricultural system and provides the
integrity needed for market incentives to be accepted by consumers.