Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA) protects and advocates for the human and legal rights of people with disabilities of all ages across Louisiana. DRLA works to empower the disability community to live an integrated life, free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Building on recent successes with impactful litigation and innovative programming, DRLA now seeks its next Executive Director (ED).
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new ED will lead a highly qualified team of approximately 50 dedicated staff delivering free legal services, educating policymakers, advocating for clients, and delivering trainings throughout the state. The ED will oversee organizational development, supervise senior staff, and manage a roughly $5M annual budget. They will also ensure compliance with legal and funder requirements, safeguarding the short- and long-term fiscal and programmatic health of the organization.
DRLA seeks a compassionate manager who will foster a strong internal culture and lead strategic growth in service of greater impact for the disability community across Louisiana.
The ideal candidate will have significant nonprofit leadership and management experience within disability rights, legal advocacy, or a closely related field. Strong candidates will demonstrate commitment to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, motivating teams and fostering alignment, and mobilizing public and private support and partnership for the systems change and direct service work DRLA does.
The ED will exhibit humble servant leadership and will have a strong ability to build relationships and gain the trust of the Board and staff at all levels of the organization. The ED will represent DRLA publicly and will continue to elevate the organization’s profile as a critical, impactful agency, both across the state and nationwide.
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
DRLA began its service to people with disabilities across Louisiana in 1977, as Louisiana’s Protection and Advocacy (P&A) System as required under federal legislation. As Louisiana's P&A, DRLA has the authority to provide its legal and investigative services under federal laws and is part of the National Disability Rights Network.
Early work focused on ensuring transfer planning for nursing home residents and securing funding for transportation to ensure that Medicaid recipients could access benefits, as well as training and resources devoted to self-advocacy for people with disabilities. Though the organization’s name has changed over time, this focus on litigation, monitoring and advocacy, training, and valuing self-advocacy continue to characterize DRLA’s focus today. In addition to the organizational headquarters in New Orleans, DRLA also operates a branch office in Lafayette, and other staff work in home offices across the state.
Focusing on a wide array of issues, including education, employment, accessibility, voter rights, disaster resilience, and the rights of older people, DRLA offers the following services:
Direct Legal Representation and Systemic Litigation
DRLA offers free legal services to people with disabilities of all ages whose civil or human rights have been violated. Based on strategic priorities and internal resources, DRLA provides direct representation, technical assistance, and referrals on a wide range of disability rights issues. In recent years, the organization has been nationally recognized for its high leverage systemic litigation work on behalf of people with disabilities in prisons and jails.
Community Advocacy Programs
DRLA’s non-legal advocates protect and champion the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in group homes and supported independent living contexts. The organization also assists individuals with disabilities in removing barriers to meaningful employment opportunities and ensures the fair treatment of people receiving help managing their Social Security benefits. Furthermore, DRLA provides financial coaching and case management services through the nation’s first and the region’s only program focused on people with disabilities who are exiting incarceration.
Public Policy and Legislative Advocacy
Disability Rights Louisiana monitors legislative activity that impacts the lives of people with disabilities and works to provide information to relevant stakeholders and various policy makers about the anticipated effects of such legislation.
Facilities Monitoring
Under its federal authority, DRLA monitors the conditions in facilities that house individuals with disabilities across Louisiana, including mental health facilities, nursing homes, and state-run institutions, and investigates allegations of abuse and neglect in those facilities.
Outreach and Training
Through trainings, outreach presentations, participation in committees, community partnerships, and educational materials, Disability Rights Louisiana educates the community about the legal and human rights of people with disabilities.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The next Executive Director will have the tremendous privilege of building upon the agency’s impressive history of success and leading DRLA into its next phase of organizational growth and impact. The ED will join a team of approximately 50 union and non-union staff deployed across the state, all of whom share a deep commitment to fostering self-determination for people with disabilities across Louisiana. Many DRLA staff identify as people with disabilities, have immediate family members with disabilities, and/or have worked at the organization for over 10 years. With this expansive lived and professional experience, DRLA’s team is equipped with extensive knowledge around disability rights, policies, services, and stakeholders that impact Louisiana’s community.
Specifically, the Executive Director will:
• Provide strategic leadership and effective management of the agency including program planning, compliance, development, budget, performance management, and financial oversight.
• Build a robust, collaborative culture of transparency, active communication, and trust, working to envision and implement a cohesive organization where the Board and staff are clear on the important roles they play in advancing DRLA’s mission and vision. Work in partnership with the staff union to ensure organizational needs are met and staff are supported through fostering a positive relationship with union and non-union staff alike.
• Prioritize areas in which DRLA can optimize operations and support staff development by reviewing existing Human Resources systems and policies and identifying opportunities for advancement.
• Cultivate a strong working relationship with the Board of Directors through effective and responsive engagement with all members, both at and between Board meetings, and ensuring healthy exchange of information between the Board and staff.
• Partner with the Finance Director to lead overall budget and financial management with a particular focus on compliance and reporting for federal and other funding streams.
• Along with development staff, explore cultivation of potential grant funding as well as new donors and stewardship opportunities, identifying and pursuing the potential to broaden and diversify the funding base beyond the current revenue streams.
• Foster a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, ensuring that those values drive key decisions about organizational goals, practices, and priorities.
• In partnership with the Board of Directors and staff, develop, implement, and communicate DLRA’s strategic vision among legislators, key partners, and stakeholders in ways that increase DRLA’s influence and enhance its impact.
• Enhance the capacity of the agency to address and evaluate client and community needs, service priorities and outcomes, and impact opportunities through building robust and mutually beneficial relationships in the diverse disability communities of Louisiana.
• Raise the visibility of DRLA by identifying and cultivating strategic and robust relationships with cross-sector partners, key decision makers, and other relevant local, statewide, and national organizations and leaders.
• Guide and support community organizing and advocacy initiatives in partnership with staff.
• Serve as an ambassador for DRLA internally and externally, inspiring others to take bold action to address systemic issues facing people with disabilities.
• Directly supervise and mentor the Leadership Team, currently comprised of 10 direct reports.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
• An inclusive, compassionate, and transparent executive leader with demonstrated experience effectively inspiring and empowering staff, Board members, and partners toward greater impact through effective collaboration and communication.
• Deep appreciation of, and success in carrying out and managing, advocacy, training, impact legislation, and/or policy change for the rights of people with disabilities.
• Demonstrated leadership in a complex and dynamic organization, including fiscal oversight, reporting, compliance, budget development experience, revenue stewardship, and familiarity with fundraising from federal, state, and other sources.
• Experience developing systems to support organizational capacity, with an eye toward opportunities for process improvement and refinement, particularly as it pertains to people management.
• Demonstrated success, internally and externally, as a consensus builder and collaborator who can earn and maintain trusting relationships.
• Excellent writing, analytical, and communication skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and an understanding of and deep respect for the distinctive culture of, specific challenges faced by, and assets unique to people from disability, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC communities, including clients and colleagues.
• Sensitivity and low ego as conducive to stepping into an agency that has experienced significant turnover in senior leadership and seeks stability in service of future growth.
• Ability to represent DRLA to a variety of stakeholders and intermediaries across the state and around the country in a credible and influential way.
• Self-starter with strong ability to manage a diverse, driven, and successful staff including those with a long history at the agency and those who have joined more recently.
• An optimistic outlook, along with the humor, integrity, patience, and perseverance necessary to support mission-driven staff in challenging but essential work.
TO APPLY
More information about Disability Rights Louisiana may be found at: disabilityrightsla.org.
The salary range for this role is between $125,000 - $150,000 plus health insurance, dental, and vision insurance, life and long-term disability insurance, accident and hospital indemnity insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan with agency match. Benefits also include a flexible spending account and paid time off for vacation, illness, and holidays.
This search is being led by Tamar Datan and Eva Rosenberg of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by October 13, 2023. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website (https://npag.com/drla-exec-dir).
Disability Rights Louisiana values diversity among its employees and is an equal opportunity employer. DRLA hires without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability (mental and physical), sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military and veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
DRLA strongly encourages individuals with mission-aligned values and diverse identities to apply.
DRLA endorses and supports the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees needing accommodations.
