Executive Director

Job Description

Greektown Preservation Society is seeking an experienced professional to fill the role of Executive Director.

Greektown Preservation Society is a registered 501(c)(3) community development non-profit. This organization works on behalf of, is comprised of, and has been the organizing body for the business owners and stakeholders of Greektown, Detroit for over 100 years. The mission of Greektown Preservation Society is to promote the continued economic vibrancy of Greektown while preserving the historic and cultural fabric of the neighborhood.
There is currently over $2B of new real estate development set to begin construction in and around Greektown over the next 2 years (2019-2020), and more significant investments are in the pipeline. Greektown finds itself at a critical juncture, where the future success of the neighborhood will be decided by its ability to adapt to the fast-changing landscape.

In 2018, Greektown Preservation Society set out to address the impending evolution of our neighborhood. GPS convened a steering committee of over 30 citywide stakeholders to initiate a comprehensive neighborhood urban planning effort. This effort, led by the acclaimed architects and urban planners at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), resulted in an exciting vision for Greektown’s shops, streets, public spaces, and future developments. This planning effort and its resulting vision have set the stage for a period of growth for both the neighborhood and the organization.

The Executive Director will be the primary steward of the established neighborhood vision and will be responsible for the continued expansion of the organization. The Executive Director will report directly to the Board of Directors of Greektown Preservation Society and will represent and work alongside the organization’s members and stakeholders. 

The Executive Director’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Local Stakeholder Engagement
  • Facilitate consistent communication between local Greektown business and property owners in order to promote a community that is collaborative and cohesive.
• Citywide Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build, manage, and maintain strategic relationships with the City of Detroit’s Mayor’s office, Detroit Police Department, corporate entities and private developers, city and state agencies and offices, community organizations, as well as any other entities interact with or have a stake in the success of Greektown.

• These may be related to: public events, safety & policing, sanitation, landscaping and neighborhood beautification, marketing, historic preservation, real estate development

It will be necessary for the Executive Director to maintain the diverse responsibilities of the organization until they are able to complete the hiring of additional staff to support these efforts.

ED will be responsible for building relationships with corporations, philanthropic organizations, and other entities that can provide programmatic and administrative support to augment the annual budget of the organization.
It will be necessary for the ED to navigate complex political environments in order to leverage the organization's strategic relationships so as to bring necessary resources to our organization. 

Responsible for grant discovery and writing to solicit funds for specific organizational initiatives and neighborhood improvements or programs.

Establish recurring sources of funding to support operations and future growth of the organization.

Greektown Preservation Society is poised to expand its staff during 2019 and 2020.

In consultation with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be responsible for the hiring and management of the following positions:

• Marketing & Events Manager
• Security Manager
• Facilities Manager
• Office Administrator

Ideal candidates for the role of Executive Director will have experience in a combination of the following fields:

1. Non-profit management
2. Business administration
3. Community development
4. Fundraising
5. Events management
6. City or neighborhood planning
7. Government relations
8. Public space management
9. Historic preservation
10. Property management
11. Real-estate development
12. Retail, leasing and merchandising
13. Architecture and design