You may be hearing a lot about community land trusts right now. They’ve become a popular answer to the question “How will we prevent displacement?” or “How do we keep housing permanently affordable?” But what are community land trusts, and how do they work? This page will give you a quick introduction to the topic, with lots of links to further reading from Shelterforce and advocacy organizations...
https://shelterforce.org/2021/07/12/understanding-community-land-trusts/amp/ ;
IN THE SPRING OF 2011, the brothers Melvin Davis and Licurtis Reels were the talk of Carteret County, on the central coast of North Carolina. Some people said that the brothers were righteous; others thought that they had lost their minds. That March, Melvin and Licurtis stood in court and refused to leave the land that they had lived on all their lives, a portion of which had, without their knowledge or consent, been sold to developers years before. The brothers were among dozens of Reels family members who considered the land theirs, but Melvin and Licurtis had a particular stake in it. Melvin, who was 64, with loose black curls combed into a ponytail, ran a club there and lived in an apartment above it. He’d established a career shrimping in the river that bordered the land, and his sense of self was tied to the water. Licurtis, who was 53, had spent years building a house near the river’s edge, just steps from his mother’s...
Position Description
Operations Manager, New Haven Land Trust
Our Mission
The New Haven Land Trust promotes the appreciation and preservation of natural resources in New Haven for the benefit and education of the community. We do this through land conservation, community gardening, and environmental education.
Our Culture
The Land Trust is a rapidly growing non-profit with a strong, community-focused mission. We harness the strengths of community members, volunteers, employees and our other organizational partnerships in a positive, yet dedicated way. The Land Trust’s approach is one of “can do”, where staff and volunteers are encouraged to be persistent, think outside of the box to confront challenges, and take ownership over the organization’s ongoing projects and mission. If you are someone who doesn’t give up after hearing “no”, who puts all your energy and passion into the projects you implement, and who enjoys working collaboratively with a diverse group of individuals, then you will fit in at the Land Trust.
Position
The New Haven Land Trust seeks an Operations Manager with strong organizational skills and a passion for community and environment, who can both manage the administrative tasks of the organization and play a supporting role to the many ongoing projects and strategic initiatives that the Land Trust is implementing.
Work Commitment
The Operations Manager will work 40 hours per week and will report directly to the Executive Director.
Compensation
$40,000/year with benefits.
Primary responsibilities of the Operations Manager will be:
Bookkeeping: This includes recording financial transactions and reconciling monthly statements, creating financial reports, making bank deposits, and managing accounts receivable and payable.
Office systems: Develop, strengthen and maintain office systems that ensure that key information is effectively recorded, filed and organized, office communication systems are in place, and a sufficient inventory of supplies is on hand.
Database management: Manage the Land Trust’s donor, volunteer and contact lists.
Outreach and communications: Assist with design of the Land Trust’s communication strategy. Keep the Land Trust’s social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, website and email – active and alive with current information and notices. Assist with design of brochures and outreach material.
Events planning: Spearhead the planning and execution of Land Trust meetings and fundraisers such as our Annual Meeting and Fall Fundraiser.
Ensure the smooth running of office procedures: Triage incoming phone and email communications, order supplies, maintain an effective filing system.
Grant writing: Draft, compile and process grant applications for ongoing and future Land Trust programs.
Liaison and Representative: Assist with coordination, attend and in some cases lead various stakeholder meetings including both internal and external meetings.
Responsibilities will vary with specific tasks assigned as needed and to address the changing needs of the organization.
Ideal Skills and Qualities
The Operations Manager must demonstrate the following skills, experience, and expertise:
Strong organizational and financial skills
Candidates must be highly reliable with a keen sense of responsibility. They must bring a can-do attitude to their work, with a creative approach to solving problems. This includes an ability to multi-task while maintaining strict attention to detail and work well under pressure. Candidates must also have experience in keeping financial records and maintaining a tight financial management system.
Excellent project management skills
Proven track record in setting project objectives and timelines, managing tasks against a project plan, and providing insightful evaluation following completion. Ability to manage multiple project components and make adjustments in response to changing conditions.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
This includes oral and writing skills and an ability to relate to and communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and styles. Experience running meetings, giving presentations, developing and executing marketing and communications strategies are all highly desired. Ability in Spanish language is a plus.
Experience in managing office systems.
Including ease with managing documents in Google Docs and Dropbox; facility with Adobe, and Microsoft Office Suite. Expertise in managing database systems, and in promoting through social media platforms is also required. Bookkeeping software experience is also highly desired.
New Haven Knowledge
Knowledge of New Haven’s diverse neighborhoods and in particular New Haven’s food system and environmental arena is highly desired.
Passion for environmental and food system issues is required.
Please send cover letter and resume by August 7, 2015 to justin.elicker@newhavenlandtrust.org. Please include “Operations Manager” in the subject line.
New Haven Land Trust is an "equal opportunity employer." New Haven Land Trust will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
