About Lawrenceville Together
Lawrenceville Together (LT) formed through the merger of Lawrenceville Corporation and Lawrenceville United. In 2023, the boards and staff of both organizations began a strategic planning process to consider their futures and how they could best serve the Lawrenceville community. The resulting merger brings together the strengths, relationships, and accomplishments of both organizations to create new opportunities for the neighborhood and the people who call it home.
Lawrenceville Corporation and Lawrenceville United were founded in the early 2000s to address challenges facing the neighborhood, including disinvestment, crime, vacancy, blight, and failing infrastructure. Through affordable housing initiatives, business district management, public safety efforts, community programming, and grassroots organizing, the organizations built a strong reputation for bringing partners together to strengthen Lawrenceville. As LT enters its next chapter, it has an opportunity to build on this foundation, sustain key partnerships, and evolve its work to meet the needs of all residents, with equity guiding its approach and impact.
LT’s mission is to build opportunity and community for all who live and work in Lawrenceville. The organization envisions a welcoming, diverse, and empowered community where residents, businesses, and workers have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. LT advances this vision through five program areas: Open Space and Public Realm; Engagement and Identity; Housing and Quality of Life; Business and Economic Opportunity; and Community Development and Planning.
LT’s work touches many aspects of neighborhood life. From operating the Lawrenceville Farmers Market and supporting local businesses to distributing tens of thousands of free meals to food-insecure families, hosting Lawrenceville Pride, helping low-income seniors access home repairs, and advocating for affordable housing and safe streets, LT combines direct community programming with neighborhood planning and advocacy. The organization brings residents, businesses, and partners together to address local priorities while working to influence broader regional challenges.
Lawrenceville is shaped by generations of residents, a vibrant small-business community, and ongoing development. As the neighborhood changes, questions of affordability, inclusion, growth, and quality of life become increasingly important. LT works to ensure that Lawrenceville remains a place where people across backgrounds and income levels can live, work, and thrive.
As a newly unified organization, LT is building on a strong foundation of community relationships and neighborhood leadership while defining how best to work together and serve the neighborhood in the years ahead.
Learn more about LT at https://lawrencevilletogether.org/.
The Opportunity
Lawrenceville Together is entering an important new chapter. Following the merger of Lawrenceville Corporation and Lawrenceville United, LT has an established mission, a shared strategic plan, and a dedicated team of four staff members committed to the neighborhood. The organization now seeks its inaugural Executive Director (ED) to bring its people and work together around a clear direction and build a strong foundation for the future.
With an annual operating budget of $900,000, LT is focused on strengthening its financial position, diversifying revenue, and aligning resources with its most important priorities. The ED will work closely with the Board and staff to translate the strategic plan into action, establish clear priorities and decision-making practices, and make thoughtful choices about programs, partnerships, and resource allocation. Fundraising, membership development, and cultivating new partnerships will be important parts of building the organization’s long-term sustainability.
The ED will also have an important role in shaping LT’s culture and ways of working. This includes supporting a cohesive team, clarifying responsibilities, and establishing effective practices that help the organization focus its efforts and deliver on its mission. Success will require balancing the neighborhood’s needs and ambitions with the resources and capacity available to meet them.
At the same time, Lawrenceville continues to evolve, bringing both opportunities and challenges for residents, businesses, and community partners. LT has an important role to play in bringing people together, advocating for community priorities, and helping ensure that neighborhood change benefits the people who live and work there. The ED will build on LT’s relationships and community presence to strengthen its impact while keeping equity, affordability, and inclusion at the center of its work.
The ED will build and sustain relationships across Lawrenceville, the city of Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County, including with elected officials, community organizations, social service providers, and social justice groups, with a commitment to supporting and working in coalition with those serving historically underserved communities. The ED will bring people together across different perspectives and priorities, build trust with community partners, and foster meaningful partnerships that advance shared goals for the neighborhood.
This is an opportunity for a relationship-oriented, strategic leader who enjoys bringing people together, navigating complexity, and turning shared ambitions into action. The inaugural ED will help define what LT can become, strengthen its capacity to serve Lawrenceville, and guide the organization toward a sustainable future.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Strategic Leadership and Organizational Integration
The ED will guide LT through its next chapter, building on the strengths and relationships of its legacy organizations to establish a clear, shared direction for the future. Translating LT’s strategic plan into actionable priorities and meaningful outcomes, the ED will bring the Board and staff together around common goals, strengthen alignment across the organization, and make thoughtful decisions about where to focus resources and energy. Success will require balancing the neighborhood’s evolving needs with LT’s capacity while building a cohesive organization positioned for long-term impact.
Financial Sustainability and Resource Development
Building a sustainable future for LT will require a strategic approach to fundraising, revenue diversification, and financial management. The ED will cultivate relationships with funders and community supporters, identify new opportunities to generate resources, and engage the Board as an active partner in resource development. As LT establishes itself as a unified organization, the ED will make thoughtful decisions about investments, programs, and priorities, balancing financial realities with the commitment to an equitable and accessible Lawrenceville.
Community Engagement, Relationship Building, and Advocacy
The ED will serve as a trusted and visible leader across Lawrenceville’s diverse community, building relationships with residents, businesses, public officials, funders, and community partners. Working collaboratively with county and city leaders, public agencies, and other organizations, the ED will help advance shared priorities and advocate for the needs of the community. By listening to differing perspectives and navigating neighborhood and political dynamics, the ED will bring people together around shared priorities while advocating for the needs of the community. Success will require a genuine commitment to listening, an understanding of the forces shaping Lawrenceville, and the ability to ensure that LT remains responsive to the people who live and work in the neighborhood, particularly those whose voices may be less readily heard.
People Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness
The ED will shape the culture and operating practices of a newly unified organization, creating an environment where staff can work collaboratively, take ownership, and deliver on LT’s mission. Establishing clear priorities, expectations, and accountability will be essential, as will supporting staff through change and drawing on the team’s collective expertise. In partnership with the Board, the ED will clarify roles and decision-making authority, strengthen internal systems, and foster a healthy, effective organization without adding unnecessary bureaucracy or losing the collaborative spirit that grounds LT’s work.
Equity-Centered Leadership
The ED will keep LT’s commitment to equity, affordability, and inclusion central to its decisions and actions. As Lawrenceville continues to evolve, the organization must navigate competing priorities related to development, housing affordability, small-business vitality, and quality of life. The ED will bring sound judgment and a community-centered perspective to these challenges, engaging stakeholders meaningfully and making transparent choices about how resources are allocated. Above all, the ED will help LT advance a vision of Lawrenceville where people across income levels and backgrounds can live, work, and thrive.
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
- Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor engagement, or other forms of resource development.
- Experience leading and developing a team, ideally through a period of organizational change or growth.
- Strong communication, strategic planning, and organizational development skills.
- The ability to articulate a clear vision and build support among diverse stakeholders.
- Experience in one of LT’s programmatic areas strongly preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $115,000 to $130,000.
Benefits include:
- Paid vacation
- Paid sick days
- Paid holidays
- SIMPLE IRA with up to 3% employer match
- Monthly ICHRA stipend to purchase health insurance on the marketplace
- Life insurance
- Accidental Death & Disability Insurance
- Monthly technology reimbursement of $50 for use of personal devices
- Discretionary reimbursement for expenses
- Bereavement leave
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Alicia Salerno. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries 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.
Lawrenceville Together is an equal opportunity employer, committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. Qualified individuals who bring diverse perspectives and represent marginalized communities are especially encouraged to apply.
About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.