Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc.

Chief Operating Officer

Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., nationally recognized for its innovative programs, and one of Illinois’ largest service agencies with an operating budget of $38.7 million, seeks a new Chief Operating Officer for their staff of 513 dedicated professionals.  The new Chief Operating Officer, a strategic thinker and problem solver with passion, drive, and creativity, will work in a dynamic, team environment and administer all Agency-wide programs consistent with the organization’s mission, values, and policies.

Background

History/Mission

On May 26, 1919, Ada Sophia Dennison McKinley, an African-American school teacher, who migrated from the state of Texas during World War I, recognized the tremendous social needs of soldiers returning home from the War and pioneered the beginning of one of Chicago’s oldest and largest social service agencies. In recognition of her founding spirit and her many years of leadership and service, the Agency was officially given her name, Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., in 1949. 

Since its founding, Ada S. McKinley Community Services (the “Agency”) has been a non-discriminatory, non-sectarian and non-political organization with a mission of serving those who, because of disabilities or other limiting conditions, need help in finding and pursuing paths leading to healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.  In 2004, the Agency was ranked the tenth largest nonprofit agency in metropolitan Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Clientele

The Agency’s clients are of all ages and reside primarily in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout Chicago’s South Side.  More than 40% of the 12,000 clients that the Agency serves annually is developmentally disabled. Their clients represent a broad spectrum of races and cultures, including 91% African American, 6.5% Hispanic, 2.4 % Caucasian, and the remaining .7% Asian, Native American, and other.

Programs/Services

The Agency provides programs and services through six divisions at 42 different locations, including specialized activities for youths and seniors:

• Adult Rehabilitation Services:  This division assists persons with developmental disabilities and other economically disadvantaged individuals secure integrated employment, attain economic self-sufficiency, and engage in competent community living.  Two vocational training facilities provide daily production, vocational training, social habilitation, and developmental training to individuals:  Project Caring prepares individuals for employment as Personal Assistants and Janitorial Services train individuals in cleaning methods and procedures. 

• Educational Services:  This division provides afterschool programs, tutoring programs, college preparation and placement programs, programs for seniors, and alternative schooling for students who cannot matriculate to public schools.  The Youth Academic program and early intervention program prepares sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students for high school through tutoring.  The Talent Search program has placed over 62,000 economically disadvantaged high school students in colleges and universities throughout the United States.

• Foster Care and Adoption Services:  This division provides comprehensive case management services, children and family support services, services for children who have been removed from their biological families due to neglect or abuse, and various interdisciplinary services for low-income families.  Specialized contracts allow Agency personnel to work with children who are developmentally disabled, health impaired, mentally ill, and behaviorally disordered, and who require immediate intake and placement maintenance. 

• Intervention Services:  This division assists children experiencing difficulty in interpersonal relationships, school functioning, family relations, or peer interaction.  The components of this program are: (1) Mentally Ill; (2) Developmentally Disabled; (3) Screening, Assessment, and Support Services; (4) Unified Delinquency Intervention Services; (5) Intensive Therapeutic Services; (6) Urban Systems of Care; (7) South Side Partners for Community Health; and (8) Mentally Ill Substance Abusers.

• Residential Services:  This division provides residential living arrangements for people with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities.  The Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled (ICFDDs) provide structured activities and settings for service recipients and house up to fifteen people.  Individuals requiring smaller living arrangements are served in seven Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) which house up to six people.

• Therapeutic/Educational Services:  This division provides four child care services: Day Care, Head Start, Afterschool Care, and Night Care.  The Day Care program assists parents in caring for infants six weeks old and up.  The Head Start program operates out of six sites and provides comprehensive services to children six weeks to 5 years of age and their families.  The Special Education program provides children and youth with disabilities with a broad range of academic, developmental, social, therapeutic, and recreational services.

Current Situation

The Agency employs a staff 498 full-time employees and 15 part-time employees and has a significant volunteer force.  An Executive Director, a dedicated professional team, and a twenty-five-member voluntary Board of Directors lead the programs and services of the Agency.  The Executive Director oversees an operational staff of six administrative officers (Chief Financial Officer, Human Resources Director, Development Director, Community Affairs Director, Quality Assurance Director, and Property Director) and a programmatic staff of six Division Directors in Adult Rehabilitation Services, Foster Care and Adoption Services, Educational Services, Intervention Services, Therapeutic/Educational Services, and Residential Services.

In FY’06 the Agency delivered over a million service hours and had an annual budget of $38.7 million, of which 91% was spent on programs and 9% on administration and development.  Funding sources include government grants (95%), program service fees (2%), and contributions (2.7%).  During this year, the Agency assisted over 13,667 inner city persons of all ages. Over the past three decades, the Agency has placed over 62,000 minority students in colleges. With over 300 children placed in homes, the Agency has been, for the past ten years, one of the largest private adoption/foster agencies in the state of Illinois.

Within the next year, the Agency expects to continue to enhance its expanded Screening, Assessment, and Support Services (SASS) program in six Chicago Local Area Networks (LANs). This continued expansion will position the organization to be the second largest SASS provider in the state of Illinois.  The Agency also plans to open a new senior home facility with 75 beds, a sibling and infant foster care emergency home, and an additional talent search program with the Chicago public schools within the next several years.

Over the past two years, the Agency has moved to a new business model.  The Agency is currently in the process of shifting its revenue streams from a grant-based model to a fee-for-service structure.  This transition requires implementing standards and objectives on a priority basis as set forth by government agencies and keeping track of billable hours.  Many of these implementations have been undertaken with a final deadline set for July 2007.  The new Chief Operating Officer will be expected to supervise the last stages of the Agency’s transition to this new revenue structure, while maintaining the high quality of the Agency’s services and programs for its clients.

 Specific Role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) has full operational responsibilities for the Agency’s day-to-day activities, and reports directly to the Executive Director.  The COO plans, organizes and administers Agency-wide programs in accordance with established goals, objectives, and policies and provides leadership and direction to specific Agency functions.  The COO supervises the operational functions of the Agency, including the Division Directors and other designated personnel, and receives from them such reports as are necessary for a continuous assessment of service, quality, improvement, and overall effectiveness of the Agency.  The COO keeps the Executive Director informed regarding areas of responsibility, independently exercises authority delegated from the Executive Director, and assumes responsibilities of the Agency during the Executive Director’s absence.

A representative summary of the programmatic duties of the new COO include:

• Assists in the development of program budgets and in the preparation of written applications for public and private agency grant support;

• Evaluates the need for new programs and makes recommendations of these to the Executive Director where indicated;

• Directs or supervises the direction of program staff in-service training and provides growth experience in management and administrative skills for division and unit directors;

• Hears grievances presented by Agency programs staff referred immediately beyond the level of Division Directors;

• Prepares such reports as the Executive Director may require to maintain an on-going awareness of Agency program operation.

A representative summary of the operational duties of the new COO include:

• Communicates regularly with Executive Director in regards to significant staff or operational matters;

• Makes recommendations to the Executive Director regarding control and utilization of physical and financial resources;

• Recommends to the Executive Director policies and actions designed to improve Agency functioning;

• Maintains frequent relations with high-level professional and administrative personnel in the social services field and confers with the Executive Director on matters requiring executive level attention;

• Evaluates the types and results of services being provided by the Agency in relation to specified goals and standards and recommends modifications where appropriate;

• Designs and implements improved organizational systems promoting increased effectiveness and efficiency in Agency program operations;

• Prepares Agency for standards applications and for audits conducted by accrediting bodies;

• Assists in recruiting personnel directly supervised and advises on Agency personnel practices and policies and evaluates the performance of subordinates, making corrective action where indicated;

• Ensures that the responsibilities, authorities, and accountability of direct subordinates are defined and understood;

• Assists in prioritizing expenditures effecting best use of funds;

• Interprets the functions of the Agency to the community through direct involvement with public, civic, or private groups;

• Performs other duties as delegated.

 Major Objectives  

The new COO should possess the following characteristics: 

• A strategic thinker with a vision for success, yet interested in and attentive to details and operational issues;

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with remarkable clarity and accuracy;

• Ability to recognize and maximize opportunity on behalf of the Agency;

• A team-building, collegial approach to work, providing vision and inspiration, and inspiring respect and trust;

• Drive, coupled with energetic, entrepreneurial leadership qualities;

• A demonstrated commitment to excellence;

• Personal and professional integrity and honesty;

• Healthy respect for colleagues, employees, and superiors;

• Goal-oriented, project-oriented, and achievement-oriented;

• Strong sense of honor and integrity;

• A warm, personal style with a good sense of humor.

Mental Demands

Planning, attention to detail, analytic and quantitative skills, reading business, governmental, and technical publications, independent motivation, negotiation, confidentiality, problem-solving, math, reasoning; oral communication, written communication, client contact, an ability to manage stressful situations, an ability to respond in a helpful manner to financial questions and concerns, and an ability to create and deliver concise informational presentations.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the Agency’s employee is regularly required to sit.  The employee is frequently required to talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to ten pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to twenty-five pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and an ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.  Position requires the use of a personal vehicle and a valid driver’s license, a motor vehicle driving record acceptable to Agency standards, and verification of insurance coverage

Compensation 

Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc. offers a salary and benefits package that is commensurate with experience and competitive with comparable positions.

Please forward resumes and appropriate material immediately to: