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Executive Director

Description: 

Three Rivers Legal Services (Gainesville, FL) Seeks an Executive Director

Three Rivers Legal Services (TRLS) is seeking an Executive Director to lead this nonprofit legal services corporation dedicated to providing quality legal assistance to the poor, abused, disabled and elderly, and to their empowerment through preventive legal education. TRLS provides free civil legal help in northern Florida, serving seventeen counties from offices in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Lake City.

High Priority Roles and Responsibilities for the Next Executive Director:

  • Vision: Implementing the TRLS strategic plan which envisions increasing the capacity for impactful work; unifying operations into one law firm; anticipating the needs of organization, staff and clients; planning for changes in financial resources and obligations; strengthening resource development and fundraising; and implementing case and outreach priorities, goals, and objectives for 2020-2022.
  • Management:  Demonstrating a full understanding of the organization’s mission and structure with the ability to analyze strengths and weaknesses; formulating enhancements such as training or cross-training; building a staff that feels like family.
  • Team member:  Heading the staff of attorneys and non-attorneys and working with them all in a manner that earns respect and loyalty and shows them that they are members of a team; setting organizational standards and enforcing and modifying as needed; willingness to trust and rely on the team.
  • Communication:  Becoming the public face of TRLS in the community; maintaining transparency and open communications with the Board of Directors and staff members; enjoying working with and doing for others.
  • Increasing services: Increasing services to clients and increasing collaboration with the private bar, other regional legal aid partners, public and private law schools, and other agencies that work with the same client population.
  • Resource development:  Spearheading efforts to develop new and expanded community financial support for the program’s mission.

 

About Three Rivers Legal Services:
TRLS has a budget of $4.2 million with over 30 funding sources, and a staff of more than 50, including 24 attorneys.  In 2019 major sources of funding for TRLS include: The Legal Services Corporation, The Florida Bar Foundation, Office of the Florida Attorney General, Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence, Department of Children & Families, Internal Revenue Service, United Way of North Central Florida, USDA Rural Development, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, US Department pf Veterans Affairs, and others.

The TRLS service area covers more than 11,000 square miles. Within this area, there are approximately 310,000 individuals living below poverty guidelines. The rural parts of the region face many challenges, including the fact that many counties have the lowest number of attorneys per capita in Florida. The service area does have two law schools and can recruit well trained and motivated student volunteers to assist with the work.

In 2019, TRLS completed work for over 10,104 persons, including 1,278 seniors, 718 veterans, and 1,182 survivors of domestic violence. TRLS priorities adopted for 2020 to 2022 include:

  • Domestic Violence/Family Law cases involving the safety and protection of families and children.
  • Housing Law involving the acquisition, preservation or access to housing for homestead and basic shelter needs.
  • Income Maintenance cases involving the acquisition and maintenance of income necessary to the survival of clients, including public benefits and defense of garnishment and assistance obtaining wages due.
  • Health Care cases assuring access to free and/or affordable medical care and related services.
  • Elderly and Disabled cases involving persons suffering from infirmities of age or disability.

TRLS is guided by a 15 member Board of Directors. Five board members represent low income client groups or are low income clients themselves. The other members are attorneys recommended by local bar associations and one community representative.

TRLS surrounding areas offer immense opportunities for cultural experiences and an active life style.  The larger cities offer shopping, dining, and every type of music and art.  One can also enjoy nature or college and professional sports. There are numerous nature trails and greenways; pristine springs; and fresh and saltwater fishing. It is a short distance to the Gulf or Atlantic Coast for fun on the beach.

For more information about Three Rivers Legal Services, visit www.trls.org.

Requirements: 

Qualifications of the Next Executive Director:

  • Commitment to advancing legal rights of low income individuals and families in TRLS’s seventeen county service area.
  • Successful leadership in a multi-million dollar, multi-site organization, preferably a legal aid organization.
  • JD and a license to practice law in Florida currently or the ability to become licensed.
  • A minimum of ten years of practice, with at least five years legal services experience or equivalent preferred.
  • A minimum of five years management experience involving staff supervision, financial oversight and reporting, budget development, and compliance with grant and contract requirements.
  • Successful experience in resource development, including grant writing and private fundraising.
  • Demonstrated experience working successfully with organizations and individuals with diverse perspectives, including staff, the Board of Directors, community, the private bar, elected and appointed officials, and clients.
  • Outstanding oral and written communications skills, including the ability to motivate, inspire and resolve conflict.
  • Experience working with a Board of Directors in the successful performance of its duties.
  • Personal attributes such as the ability to engender confidence and trust, honesty, integrity, a strong work ethic, good listening skills, decisiveness, and a profound empathy for the disadvantaged and vulnerable client population of Three Rivers Legal Services.
  • Knowledge of Legal Services Corporation regulations and compliance preferred.
To Apply: 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  In order to receive full consideration, candidates are urged to submit their materials by November 4, 2020. Please include a letter expressing in detail your interest in the position; your qualifications and what you hope to contribute to the organization’s future; a current resume; and the names and contact information for three professional references. 

Materials should be submitted electronically to ppap@mielegalaid.org in Microsoft Word or pdf format. TRLS is assisted in the search by Patricia Pap, Executive Director, Management Information Exchange, 105 Chauncy St., Fl 6, Ste 3, Boston, MA 02111, 508-737-4010, ppap@mielegalaid.org.  Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her.

Salary is commensurate with experience based on a competitive public interest salary scale. The benefits package for this position includes employer-contributed major medical, employee-paid dental and vision, employer-paid term life and short term disability, employee-paid long term disability, 403(b) retirement plan, and generous paid time off.

TRLS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status.

Information

Submission Deadline: 
November 4, 2020
Organization Information: 
Three Rivers Legal Services
United States