CEED is looking for its first paid director

The Center for Environmental Education and Discovery has begun a search for a permanent, paid executive director, a step in growing the organization. CEED’s current executive director is Rebecca Muellers, who is also a co-founder, and she serves in a volunteer capacity.

“I feel so super-excited that we’ve gotten to this point,” Muellers told the Advance by phone on Monday. She credited the move to the success of the organization and its growth since forming in 2015.

But the time has come to take an even bigger step. Muellers, co-founder Eric Powers and the board of directors are looking to bring on a director who has fundraising and management experience in order to help achieve the goals set forth by the team. The director will work on fundraising, marketing and expansion goals.

“We really want to bring on someone who’s done this,” Muellers said.

Some of those goals include completing the renovation of the Washington Lodge, CEED’s headquarters, which it acquired in 2017. The project will require a large amount of fundraising. The director would also be encouraged to explore partnerships with businesses and other organizations.

“Until we get that building renovated, we’re limited in what we can do,” Muellers said. The inside of the lodge is not open for programming, but CEED has used the outside area for events.

Muellers is excited to get back to the heart of why she wanted to start the organization in the first place: working on programs. The organization was a big undertaking to start, she said, and volunteering in the executive director role took her away from programming and more into administrative duties.

“I’ve always seen change as a good thing,” Powers said. He added that he was excited to have a new person on board with new ideas. Powers became a paid staff member in August of last year, running CEED’s various programs.

The right person

The CEED team is looking for a candidate ideally with nonprofit experience. Passion for nature or the environment is not a requirement but certainly welcome. Muellers said local candidates would also be welcome, as the organization has strong roots in the community.

She added that there is an opportunity for people in different points in their career, such as a young person with energy who would like to move into an executive position or someone who recently retired who is looking to find a new role.

The new director will be helping to execute vision for the organization and to continue the growth seen over the past few years.

“This would be something that could really be an accomplishment,” said board director Tom Pelletier of the new director’s work with CEED. “It could be such a center of life in the community.”