Executive Director
Disability Rights Maryland Seeks an Executive Director
Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) seeks an Executive Director to lead this nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization as it creates an integrated and just society by advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout Maryland. DRM is Maryland’s designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency and a member of the National Disability Rights Network.
High priority roles and responsibilities for the Executive Director include:
- To serve as the primary public face of DRM with the disability community, the media, public officials, and the community at large and to represent the organization in its various local, state, and federal networks;
- To articulate and nurture a vision for DRM’s future;
- To lead DRM’s advocacy in a range of services including information, referrals, technical assistance, and training as well as individual representation and systemic advocacy to promote legal rights for people with disabilities;
- To lead DRM in setting priorities and in planning and pursuing creative strategies for addressing future challenges to the disability community and to the organization;
- To effectively oversee DRM’s finances;
- To grow and diversify resources to support DRM’s work;
- To support an engaged Board of Directors in carrying out its responsibilities to the organization.
About Disability Rights Maryland:
DRM’s advocacy improves the lives of people with disabilities and creates a more inclusive and just society for all, by advancing human rights. We help people with disabilities pursue opportunities to participate fully in all aspects of community life, and champion their rights to self-determination, dignity, equality, opportunity, and freedom from discrimination and harm.
DRM provides free legal services to Marylanders with disabilities on matters that are related to their disabilities and fall within our advocacy service areas. DRM’s advocacy services are developed in close collaboration with the community of people we serve, and in compliance with our funding sources.
DRM is Maryland’s designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency and a member of the National Disability Rights Network. As such, DRM is part of a nationwide network of organizations working to advance the rights of people with disabilities. Congress established the P&A System in 1975 in response to squalid conditions in institutional facilities for people with disabilities. In creating and funding the P&As, Congress granted us unique statutory authority to conduct investigations of suspected abuse and neglect of individuals with disabilities in facilities.
DRM has a budget of $3 million, and a staff of 32 which includes 21 attorneys, 2 paralegal intake specialists, 3 part-time advocates, and 6 administrative support staff.
Among the administrative support staff are the leadership team members of the Director of Legal Advocacy the Director of Litigation, the Director of Finance, the Director of Operations and the Executive Director.
DRM receives federal funding from several agencies under the following grants:
Protection & Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities (PADD), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Protection & Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR), U.S. Department of Education Protection & Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT), U.S. Department of Education Protection & Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Protection & Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), Social Security
Administration
In addition, DRM is a grantee of the Maryland Legal Services Corporation. In 2016, DRM was awarded a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. DRM receives support from private foundations including the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation, Open Society Institute, Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund, Fund for Change, Venable Foundation and the Baltimore Bar Foundation. DRM’s governing Board of Directors financially supports the organization with 100% participation. DRM also relies on charitable contributions from individual donors.
For more information about Disability Rights Maryland, please visit: http://disabilityrightsmd.org/
Qualifications of the Executive Director include:
- A passion for the mission of DRM and its multi-faceted advocacy approach;
- A demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in ways that demonstrate the values of inclusion, autonomy, equal access and full participation in community life;
- Experience working with persons with disabilities and from multi-ethnic communities;
- Possession of a Juris Doctor degree and membership in good standing with the Maryland Bar, or ability to obtain membership upon employment; or an advanced degree in an area relevant to DRM’s mission;
- Successful leadership of lawyers and others in a justice-oriented organization;
- Experience managing a similarly-sized organization, including staff supervision, budget development, financial oversight, grant and contract compliance, strategic and priority planning, and managing change;
- Successful experience raising funds from private sources, including foundations and individual donors, and from federal, state and local governments;
- Experience working effectively with multiple organizations and individuals with diverse perspectives, the public, elected and appointed officials, and consumers of services;
- Demonstrated understanding of legislative and executive-level public policy issues and processes, in Baltimore and Maryland a plus;
- Experience working productively with an engaged board of directors;
- Interpersonal skills that demonstrate trust, respect, compassion, collegiality, inclusivity, flexibility, capacity to motivate and thoughtfulness;
- Outstanding communication skills orally and in writing with a range of audiences and stakeholders.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. In order to receive full consideration, candidates are urged to submit their materials by August 9, 2017.
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 EDsearch@DisabilityRightsMD.org in Microsoft Word or pdf format.
Salary depends on experience based on a competitive public interest salary scale.
Benefits are excellent.
DRM is assisted in the search by Patricia Pap, Executive Director, Management Information Exchange, 105 Chauncy St., Fl 6, Ste 3, Boston, MA 02111, 617-556- 0288, ppap@mielegalaid.org. Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her.
DRM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals with disabilities, people of color, LGBT individuals and others who contribute to staff diversity are especially encouraged to apply. Together with the Board of Directors, the new executive director will commit to recruiting staff and board members that reflect the wealth of diversity in our state, including disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, language and cultural diversity.