The mission of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation is to raise and manage funds to support the California State Railroad Museum and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and assist California State Parks in carrying out the museum’s and the park’s mission.

Our client, the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (csrmf.org), is seeking a dynamic and energetic President and Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization into its next phase, one of exciting and significant growth. The Foundation has a national focus and provides funding for the ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum’s globally-recognized Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown, California. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, the Foundation has raised or managed nearly $60 million, providing several million dollars each year in critical operational support for educational, interpretive, and volunteer programs, new exhibits, collections care, repair and restoration of historic railroad equipment, and development work in preparation for the Railroad Technology Museum, planned for two historic buildings in the former Southern Pacific Railyards.

First opened to the public in 1976, the California State Railroad Museum complex is one of Sacramento’s largest and most popular visitor destinations. Often referred to as ‘the most popular railroad museum in North America,” the museum is also widely regarded as the “finest railroad museum” in North America. The foundation manages the program for the 13,000 members of the Museum (and 1,000 members of Railtown) and annual visits of over 500,000, with guests traveling from across the globe to experience this world-renowned facility. The California State Railroad Museum complex consists of six original, reconstructed, and new buildings completed at a cost of $30 million. The primary exhibit building, the Railroad History Museum, totals 100,000 square feet and was completed at a cost of $16.1 million. Within over 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, the buildings use stimulating exhibits, enthusiastic and knowledgeable docents, and beautifully restored cars and locomotives to illustrate railroad history in California and the West.

Approval from the state’s Public Works Board is expected in 2015 so that State Parks can acquire the site for the exciting Railroad Technology Museum. The Foundation and its Board of Directors are currently laying the groundwork for the future museum, which is envisioned to combine the high-tech, interactive exhibits of a science museum with an authentic, behind-the-scenes industrial tour of a working railroad restoration shop. This new hybrid Museum will bring the best of different worlds together in one location.
The Foundation has $4 million in annual revenue and a $2 million endowment. With nearly 500 docents, a full-time staff of 17, which swells during the holidays for the award-winning Polar Express Train Ride, and a volunteer board of 28, the new President and CEO will be taking over at one of the most exciting times in the organization’s history.

Areas of priority for the new President and CEO include leading an external public relations firm in the creation of a statewide and national branding campaign, visioning for the new technology museum as well as its major fundraising drive, and significantly raising the statewide and national awareness and appreciation of this national treasure.

It is expected that the President and CEO will achieve the following within the first 90 days:

• Within the first 10 days, will have met with staff in Sacramento and Jamestown, inspected the facilities, and interacted with the Board.
• Within the first 30 days, will have met with the major stakeholders (employees, individual Board members, major donors, the officials at State Parks, appropriate statewide and national leaders, organizations, and businesses) and begun establishing relationships and an understanding of the communication needs.
• Will have gained an understanding of the Board’s priorities and staff competencies and will have concluded an environmental scan for a better understanding of trends and events that influence the organization.
• In conjunction with the Executive Committee and Board, will have begun work outlining an action plan for the organization’s major initiatives.
• Will have taken the leadership role in working with an external public relations firm on creating a dynamic statewide and national branding campaign, and begun working with the Board on the implementation framework.
• Will have begun working with the outside fundraising firm on the visioning for the technology museum.

It is expected that the President and CEO will achieve the following within the first 180 days:

• In addition to outreach to statewide and national donors, will have begun building strong relationships with regional donors and members.
• Will have completed visioning for the technology museum.
• Will have spoken to a number of large statewide and national audiences about the museum.
• Will have gained clarity on the technology museum’s site acquisition process and timing.
• Will have held meetings with potential significant major donors.
• Will have continuing engagement with the major stakeholders and statewide/national influencers.

In addition to the above, it is expected that the President and CEO will achieve the following within the first year:

• Will have created a mutually beneficial relationship with State Parks.
• Will have the national branding campaign well underway.
• Will have begun the technology museum’s fundraising campaign.
• Will be seen as a dynamic, engaging, and inspiring leader.

Successful candidates will have the following combination of experience that will allow them to achieve the outcomes noted above:

• Successful experience running a $3-$10 million company or business unit, to include P& L responsibility (technology industry or nonprofit museum experience a plus).
• Experience in being integrally involved in a successful, major fundraising campaign (board member experience acceptable).
• Experience with multi-sited, multi-lined businesses (railroad, museum, retail, membership association, special events, and restaurant).
• Involvement in and an ability to embrace a branding campaign.
• Track record of a laser-focus on the important issues and an action orientation.
• Experience working with a strong and engaged volunteer board of directors is desirable.
• Background of successfully working with the media (media contacts a plus).

Successful candidates will have the following combination of skills and education that will allow them to achieve the outcomes as noted above:

• Strong leadership
• Executive presence
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Politically savvy
• Visionary and inspiring public speaker
• Graduate degree a plus

The ideal candidate will possess a work style and personality that will create an excellent fit with the organization’s culture and structure:

• Integrity
• A passion for railroads
• Entrepreneurial
• Highly flexible
• Self-directed
• Sense of urgency
• Team oriented
• Cohesive
• Action orientation

Sacramento is the capital of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. The city of Sacramento is the cultural and economic center of the Sacramento metropolitan area, the fourth largest city in California and the 25th largest in the U.S. Local universities include California State University, Drexel University, University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, and the University of California, in nearby Davis. The UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, is one of 19 hospitals in the Sacramento region. Sacramento is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers and is connected to the San Francisco Bay by a channel through the Sacramento River Delta. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by damp, mild winters and hot, dry summers.

Sacramento is home to the NBA Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento River Cats, San Francisco Giants’ AAA baseball team. San Francisco, Napa, Lake Tahoe and more than a dozen ski resorts are less than a two-hour drive from Sacramento. Sacramento International Airport handles flights to and from various US destinations (including Hawaii), as well as Mexico.

The compensation package includes a salary of $175,000 to $225,000, depending on qualifications, plus excellent benefits and incentive of up to 20% of salary. Pre-screened, selected candidates will be invited to interview in Sacramento, CA, with the Search Committee, on February 24, 2015, with second interviews the following morning.

For confidential consideration, at your earliest convenience, but no later than February 2, 2015, please email your chronological resume (to include description and size of current/prior organizations and responsibilities) and compensation expectations to:

CSRMF-CEO@wilcoxcareer.com