About Grow America
Grow America invests capital to craft equitable, vibrant futures. For over five decades, the organization has worked to improve the lives of millions of people through new economic opportunity and community improvement, in every one of the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Founded as a national nonprofit in 1969, Grow America, formerly NDC, directs investment where it is needed most, supporting the development and preservation of affordable housing, fueling job creation through training and small business lending, and strengthening neighborhoods through investment in critical social infrastructure. Through a unique combination of technical expertise and financing tools, Grow America serves as a partner, teacher, advisor, investor, developer, and lender to communities across the country.
Working closely with local and state governments, community-based organizations, and mission-driven partners, Grow America helps communities design and implement tailored economic development strategies that reflect local priorities and opportunities. Its nationally recognized training programs have equipped more than 85,000 community and economic development professionals over the past 45 years, building a skilled workforce capable of sustaining progress at the local level.
Grow America’s programs and services have evolved alongside the policy landscape to meet emerging needs. Today, the organization provides debt and equity financing for residential, commercial, public, and nonprofit facilities, small business lending and professional training.
The organization’s impact is significant and measurable:
- $1.26B in equity invested, creating 16,743 affordable housing units.
- $2.6B+ financed in social infrastructure through public-private partnerships.
- $675M+ loaned to more than 5,000 small businesses, primarily minority- and women-owned.
- 96 New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) projects, leveraging $2.2B in additional financing for community facilities, mixed-use developments, and growing businesses.
- Technical assistance that has helped client communities generate hundreds of millions in additional public and private investment.
Through capital, expertise, and long-term partnership, Grow America helps communities build the housing, businesses, and infrastructure they need to thrive.
Learn more about Grow America at https://growamerica.org/.
The Opportunity
Grow America seeks a visionary and mission-driven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization into its next chapter of impact, innovation, and growth. At a pivotal moment for community and economic development nationwide, the CEO will have the opportunity to guide a respected, national nonprofit with a 55+ year legacy into an era of expanded capital deployment, deeper partnerships, and broader influence in advancing equitable investment in underserved communities.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will be responsible for setting and executing a bold strategic vision that builds on Grow America’s dual strengths: delivering high-quality technical expertise and deploying catalytic capital to communities across the country. The next leader will steward and grow a diverse portfolio of financing tools, training programs, and advisory services that collectively support affordable housing, small business growth, and essential social infrastructure.
The CEO will serve as the organization’s chief strategist, external ambassador, and internal leader, strengthening relationships with public and private partners, expanding Grow America’s national profile, and ensuring operational excellence across a complex, multi-faceted organization. The CEO will lead and support a team of 85 professionals, including 7 direct reports, located across the United States, while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and results.
Key priorities for the CEO include:
- Articulating and advancing a compelling long-term vision for Grow America’s role in the evolving community development finance landscape.
- Inspiring and empowering a talented mission-driven team with a focus on both financial rigor and impact.
- Expanding partnerships with local and state governments, community-based organizations, philanthropic institutions, and capital partners.
- Strengthening and scaling the organization’s capital deployment strategies, including lending, equity investment, and NMTC initiatives.
- Assessing the organization’s product lines for financial sustainability and impact.
- Elevating Grow America’s nationally recognized training and technical assistance programs to meet emerging community needs.
- Building sustainable elements, green technologies and environmentally conscious solutions into all facets of the organization’s work.
- Ensuring strong financial stewardship, organizational sustainability, and effective governance in partnership with the Board.
- Elevating the organization’s stature as a national advocate for addressing the housing affordability crisis.
- Serving as a visible champion for equitable economic development, and increased investment in historically under-resourced communities.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for a leader who is passionate about the intersection of capital, policy, and community impact, and who is eager to lead a trusted institution with a proven track record toward even greater national influence and measurable results.
Candidate Profile
Grow America seeks a CEO who brings a deep commitment to equitable community and economic development, paired with the leadership experience to guide a complex, mission-driven financial and advisory organization. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker, skilled relationship builder, and values-driven leader who can both design and articulate a vision and execute that vision on the ground.
While no single candidate will possess every qualification, strong candidates will demonstrate the following core competencies:
Passion for Mission & Community Impact
The CEO will demonstrate an unwavering belief in the power of capital to facilitate community transformation and change lives. An ardent advocate for equity and the underserved, the CEO will not only champion these tenets within the organization but also externally, fostering a culture of support and access for historically disadvantaged rural and urban communities. They will embody indisputable integrity, ethics, and values, establishing themselves as a wholly trustworthy leader both internally and externally.
Strategic Vision
The CEO will be a forward-thinking strategist and visionary leader, who will help the organization strike the right balance between stability and growth. They will demonstrate growth capabilities while also ensuring that the organization’s structures and systems support said growth and remain both centralized and unified. The CEO will have a track record of coordinating strategic planning initiatives and executing on those initiatives, coupled with the capacity to collaborate with a diverse set stakeholders and partners toward a shared vision. Their exceptional interpersonal and communication will facilitate positive ongoing connections with investors, high level corporate executives, donors, partners, and communities nationally.
Capital Deployment & Financial Acumen
The CEO will have robust financial acumen and leadership experience in community/economic development or a comparable field. With an eye toward risk management and disciplined decision making, the CEO will establish a strong business model that allows Grow America to effectively evaluate the impact and sustainability of the organizations’ products and services while still staying open to opportunities as they arise. With a keen eye towards the market and diversification of funding sources, they will be experienced at identifying and raising capital and building and stewarding investor relationships.
Partnerships & External Engagement
As Grow America’s public face, the CEO will exhibit dynamic communication skills, effectively conveying the organization’s mission, impact, and value to diverse audiences. They will possess a history of building credibility with funders, investors, and partners, a skill pivotal in securing new revenue sources and ensuring Grow America’s ongoing success. With high emotional intelligence, the CEO will excel at forging authentic connections, building rapport with stakeholders from various backgrounds, and leveraging these relationships to magnify influence. With a natural orientation to collaboration, they will prove indispensable in fostering partnerships, both within Grow America’s network and throughout the sector, enabling the organization to maintain its excellent reputation and continue to further its mission.
A Dedicated, Trusting and Inspiring Leader
An experienced and motivational leader, the CEO will demonstrate the ability to build and lead an effective, high-performing team that delivers on ambitious goals while ensuring operational excellence and fiscal responsibility. The ideal candidate will be experienced at building and working with an engaged Board of Directors and approach that relationship with transparency and partnership. Internally, the CEO will bring the ability to set clear objectives, motivate the team to achieve superior results, and provide regular feedback and coaching. In doing so, they will foster both accountability and professional growth. As a role model both inside and outside the organization, the CEO embodies integrity, maturity, and vision, inspiring others and strengthening Grow America’s reputation. The CEO will ensure that staff are effectively guided, supported, and celebrated for their contributions, while cultivating a positive culture where people of all backgrounds may thrive. Through thoughtful performance management, talent development, and organizational structure, the CEO will drive continuous improvement, engagement, and results.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Total compensation for this role will be in the range of $575,000 - $600,000, inclusive of salary and bonus. The organization also offers a generous benefits package.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Molly Brennan, Erin Reedy, and Shannon O’Neill. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Grow America is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.