Executive search firm The Chason Group has been retained by the Athens Area Community Foundation to lead in a nationwide search for a new president and chief executive officer. Past CEO Delene Porter recently announced her resignation. Tim Chason, the firm’s president, is leading the assignment.

“Compassion and development experience are two key traits the search committee will be looking for as they review candidates for the president seat,” said Mr. Chason. “The new professional will have an opportunity to take their self-starting initiative and move the organization to a new level of service in the six county region. The AACF is known for its work with donors who want to leave a permanent legacy that will shape the future of the community.”

“The new president will have an opportunity to build upon the solid structure that Delene, the board and the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development have put in place during our early years,” said Bill Douglas, chair of the community foundation’s board and CEO / president of Athens First Bank & Trust. “The board’s vision is to expand our footprint in the six counties served through additional donors and support of programs that make a difference in the lives of citizens in this area.”

The Ideal Leader

The president post is accountable for the general implementation and supervision of all operations relating to AACF. Key duties include creating relationships with current and potential donors; serving as lead development and marketing officer; connecting with non-profit organizations in the area to collaborate in terms of identifying resources; and serving as a catalyst for leadership develop in the philanthropic arena.

Candidates for the position must have a minimum of five years of development, management, executive and strategic leadership experience in the business world, a community foundation, other grant making foundation or high performing non-profit; a proven extended tenure in leading an organization through growth and change to achieve tactical objectives; and experience as a team builder and leader.

As a public grant making community foundation, the Athens Area Community Foundation partners with donors, non-profits, and community institutions to build, distribute and preserve philanthropic assets to enhance quality of life in the area for generations to come. Counties served by the community foundation include Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe.

Serving Non-Profits

The Chason Group specializes in executive level searches for companies and non-profit organizations, strategic visioning plans, coordinating relationship building strategies, and building operating structures. Mr. Chason has over 30 years of experience in the business and non-profit world.

Past executive searches include the president of North Georgia Community Foundation, president of Brunswick & Glynn County Development Authority, and vice president of economic development for the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, one of the top 10 fastest growing communities in the U.S. Chason Group recently inked a partnership with the global commerce division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development to assist in identifying candidates for key contact positions throughout Georgia. The positions will be working with new and existing industries that have an interest in expanding their footprint in the state.