CANAPI - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PROSPECTUS
Greater Akron, Ohio
Summit County
ABOUT CANAPI and the SEARCH for a NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
For more than three decades, CANAPI (Community Aids Network/Akron Pride Initiative) has been a beacon of care, advocacy, and transformation for the LGBTQ+ community and those affected by HIV/AIDS in Summit and Portage counties. Through housing, prevention, education, and outreach, CANAPI offers not only vital services but a pathway to safer, healthier, and more joyful lives.
Formed in 2010 through the merger of the Community AIDS Network and the Akron Pride Center, CANAPI has become a deeply embedded community resource and a trusted partner to those it serves. Whether offering housing support through Lavender Landing housing support, HIV prevention services, or managing a community food pantry for those most in need in Summit County, Portage County, and surrounding areas, CANAPI’s work is community-centered, holistic, intersectional, and justice-driven.
Today, CANAPI is at a pivotal moment. Following 12 years of dedicated executive leadership, the organization is embarking on a new chapter. Guided by an engaged board, committed staff, and a strategic plan that prioritizes financial strength, programmatic excellence, and visibility, CANAPI seeks its next Executive Director to lead with vision, stability, and heart.
SITUATION: FACING 2025 and BEYOND
The next Executive Director will step into a leadership role at a time of both challenge and opportunity. As federal protections and funding for LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS services are increasingly threatened, the need for a clear, courageous, and community-centered leader has never been greater. Internally, CANAPI’s mission and workforce should be deeply supported, evaluated, and strengthened. The staff and volunteers’ work should be fostered, encouraged, and constantly professionalized to meet donor and beneficiary requirements and needs. While externally, the organization is seeking stability and accelerated engagement, and momentum. A new leader will not only need to connect with current partners and supporters but also seek new and renewed relationships and engagement with the community. In this unique time in history, CANAPI must deepen its visibility, renew vital partnerships, expand unrestricted revenue, and solidify its role as a critical voice for LGBTQIA+ and HIV/AIDS advocacy and equity in Northeast Ohio.
*In addition, CANAPI is open and interested in a new ED working with the board and other national and local community leaders to explore new, complementary areas of programming and outreach that would excite current, former, and new donors, supporters, and beneficiaries. These might include:
Exploring programming focused on LGBTQ+ elderly and aging advocacy, engagement, and educational services providing housing, STI/HIV testing, long-term care needs, cultural competency training, and sexual wellness and aging programming.
Developing or expanding mental health and wellness initiatives specifically tailored to LGBTQ+ individuals, including trauma-informed care, substance use support, group therapy models, and access to affirming clinicians, with a focus on intersectional lived experiences.
Creating empowerment and transition programs that provide safe spaces, mentorship, advocacy, and resource navigation for LGBTQ+ young adults, particularly those navigating family rejection, housing instability, or coming out in unsupportive environments.
Piloting workforce development or economic empowerment initiatives, such as job readiness training, resume support, or LGBTQ+-affirming employer partnerships, especially for trans individuals and people living with HIV who face disproportionate barriers to employment.
Launching community-led peer navigation or ambassador programs to help residents connect more easily to affirming services across housing, health, and legal systems, particularly for communities of color, immigrants, or non-English-speaking clients.
Building out legal resource access or rights-based education, especially for tenants, trans individuals, undocumented community members, or those experiencing discrimination in healthcare, employment, or housing.
The incoming Executive Director will also have the opportunity to:
Lead and support a passionate, mission-driven team
Strengthen donor and institutional relationships, while cultivating new ones
Champion CANAPI as a public-facing leader throughout Akron and beyond
Build bridges with community partners, government entities, and funders
Advance a bold, inclusive vision for LGBTQ+ safety, housing, health, and advocacy
This role is not simply about operational leadership; it is about energizing the next era of CANAPI’s public presence and community impact. As with many executive leadership transitions after a long-tenured leader, this search is a turning point for an organization with tremendous potential for further growth. Using a foundation of success, progress, and impact, the next Executive Director will be able to focus on expansion of fundraising, outreach programming, strategic vision, and maintaining and creating new avenues to continue to change the narrative around education, support services, quality housing, and advocacy for those at risk and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.
The incoming Executive Director will have the opportunity to significantly affect CANAPI’s strategic direction and trajectory. In 2025, CANAPI will continue to grow its programming while strategically building a new fundraising, development, and impact reporting model to stabilize and grow its mission and vision. To lead this effort, the incoming Executive Director is expected to bring a vision for advancing and elevating the mission while also playing a direct role in building a comprehensive, multi-faceted development strategy that includes individual, corporate, foundation, and marketing-oriented revenue streams, in addition to strengthening and growing organization and leadership outreach, education, and advancement in Summit County, Portage County, and other nearby communities.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Director will serve as the chief executive of CANAPI, reporting to the Board of Directors and overseeing all aspects of the organization’s programs, finances, personnel, and strategic advancement. Additionally, CANAPI seeks an Executive Director who can lead the organization into a new era of influence, fundraising, and impact.
This leader will be responsible for articulating and executing a shared vision that aligns with CANAPI’s mission to support and promote the well-being of LGBTQ+ people and those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. The Executive Director will prioritize organizational health and sustainability, staff development, community collaboration, and the strategic expansion of CANAPI’s impact.
The Executive Director reports to the CANAPI Board of Trustees, and works closely with board members, staff, and stakeholders to ensure the organization's success and sustainability, as well as the responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the organization's activities, including mission and vision, fundraising, strategic planning, program development, board relations, staff management, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and public relations.
This is a highly public-facing role requiring visibility in the community, a strong local presence, and a deep commitment to advocacy, fundraising, and strategic storytelling. This position is well understood and articulated by a Board of Trustees eager to embrace and support a new leader intent on fostering organizational progress, inspiring and driving growth in exposure and revenue, maintaining operational excellence, and strengthening the capabilities and effectiveness of CANAPI while being a respected leader and collaborator.
KEY LEADERSHIP PROFILE
The ideal candidate will be a dynamic, grounded, and compassionate leader who is deeply aligned with CANAPI’s mission and values. They will bring:
A lived or deeply informed understanding of LGBTQIA+ and/or HIV/AIDS-affected communities
Proven success in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and strategic communications
Experience managing programs and teams with care, accountability, and clarity
The ability to serve as a compelling ambassador and advocate for the organization
A strong vision for how to expand CANAPI’s visibility and influence across Greater Akron
They will be a relationship builder, a systems thinker, a skilled communicator, and a steady hand in a time of change. Most importantly, they will be someone who knows how to listen, lead with integrity, and make others feel seen, valued, and heard. Ideal candidates should have a personal connection to the mission and story that reflects a self-identified, intimate and/or familial relationship to LGBTQIA+ community.
In addition, candidates for Executive Director should be authentic and diplomatic; financially and operationally savvy; experienced in advanced fundraising program design and administration; and experienced in managing and overseeing complex human-centered programs, case management, and engagement models. They should possess a well-developed executive presence and an ability to externally represent CANAPI confidently, skillfully, and strategically, elevating the organization's profile throughout its various communities of current and prospective funders, clients, and partner organizations.
The next Executive Director is a systemic thinker, skilled people manager, problem-solver, idea generator, go-getter, and visionary who exercises irreproachable integrity and judgment, especially when addressing enterprise-level opportunities for growth and improvement. They are a transformative thinker, and entrepreneurially-minded with the capacity and appetite to execute, inspire, motivate, and empower those in their charge, while also being able to entertain and involve the voices and ideas of other key organizational stakeholders.
Additional leadership characteristics CANAPI is seeking include:
An eye for vision — knowing how to take a vision to new heights, while not losing sight of the mission and program model.
A powerful relationship builder — encouraging teamwork and partnerships throughout the organization, the community, and within the mission.
A team player — knowing when to lead and when to listen, working alongside a layered stakeholder model of organizational experience and leadership.
A strategic thinker — maintaining a long-term, big-picture view and implementing strategies effectively.
Someone deeply community-focused — creating value for internal and external stakeholders that makes people feel valued by delivering on commitments, requirements, and exceeding expectations.
Someone results-driven — expecting and ensuring high levels of performance in their self and others.
A servant leader — promoting the organization's values by demonstrating optimism and the highest standards of integrity and ethics.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Leadership + Financial Management
Provide visionary leadership and direction to the organization in alignment with its mission, vision, and values.
Oversee the development and implementation of strategic plans, programs, and initiatives to advance the organization's mission and goals.
Manage and supervise staff, providing guidance, support, and professional development opportunities.
Develop and manage the organization's budget, ensuring financial sustainability and accountability.
Ensure compliance with financial regulations and reporting requirements.
Development + Fundraising
Eagerness to serve as the organization's primary fundraiser and donor steward, including key oversight for government funding, grant writing, donor cultivation (corporate, foundation, individual, planned gifts, etc.), and fundraising events.
Build and maintain an effective outreach, fundraising, retention, and reporting model process to aid in the tracking, overview, and progress efforts that can be effectively communicated to the Board, funders, and other constituents.
Working in coordination with board leadership, the ED will ensure effective fundraising across diversified revenue streams; provide strategic guidance; set expectations for and introduce rigorous follow-up, impact/outcome metric-driven reporting, and regular analysis for continued improvement.
Cultivate strategic partnerships with philanthropic organizations, government agencies, corporate sponsorships, and other stakeholders to secure funding, resources, and support for CANAPI initiatives.
Motivate and activate the board in raising funds for the organization through all channels, where appropriate.
Program Development + Evaluation
Develop relationships and foster networking that will open up pathways to new programming, mission-centered projects, partnerships, and opportunities in the communities we serve and those we can or might in the future.
Lead organizational-level evaluation for program effectiveness and impact, making recommendations for improvements and enhancements.
Community Engagement + Partnership
Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, partners, government agencies, and community organizations.
Identify and build new outreach, engagement, educational opportunities, and other similar community-centered and partner-related programs and models that help to educate others about CANAPI’s work, mission, advocacy, and programming efforts and intent.
Represent the organization at community events, conferences, and meetings to raise awareness and build support.
Governance + Board Relations
Work closely with the board to develop policies, set strategic priorities, and ensure organizational accountability.
Provide regular updates and reports to the board on the organization's progress and performance.
Keep the board and executive committee fully informed on the condition of the organization and other important factors affecting the health and sustainability of the organization.
Involve each board member to reach their optimal potential while serving in their role.
Work in strategic congress with the board chair(s) to ensure an effective and efficient committee and organizational structure.
Effectively engage board committees and their leadership to intentionally and strategically encourage activity and productivity between board meetings.
People + Culture
Evaluate direct staff performance annually and submit salary adjustments to the board for review.
Be the primary culture carrier within the organization, fostering a radically inclusive, diverse environment in which all voices are lifted-up, perspectives are valued, and everyone and their respective identities experience a profound sense of belonging.
Prioritize organizational values at all times and lead by example.
Ensure CANAPI’s workforce and volunteer leaders reflect the diversity of those we serve.
Develop and administer personnel policies; ensure proper hiring and termination procedures as required by law in concert with the board and staff.
Provide adequate supervision and evaluation of all staff and volunteers.
Encourage staff professional development, retention, and education.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education + Experience Requirements
Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in public administration, human services, fiscal management, social work or related areas with a track record of effectively leading a performance- and outcomes-based organization.
Proven track record of visionary leadership and strategic growth in the nonprofit, healthcare, HIV/AIDs, housing case management, policy, or advocacy sectors, with a minimum of seven years of senior or executive leadership experience.
Preference for nonprofit management experience. Public and corporate sector leaders with working knowledge of the nonprofit sector and volunteer leadership will be equally considered.
Demonstrated expertise in building and leading coalitions or movements, mobilizing diverse stakeholders around a shared vision or cause.
Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
Advanced, personal or familial understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues, equality and human rights principles, and advocacy strategies, with a commitment to representing all individuals.
Skills + Competencies
Strong knowledge of nonprofit governance, finance, and fundraising principles.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Passion for the organization's mission and a commitment to public health and social change.
Able to work cross-departmentally with other organizations’, stakeholders’, and donors’ teams.
Able to adapt and work/operate on the fly under rapidly changing circumstances.
Proficient at de-escalation, retaining perspective, and fostering a positive environment.
Demonstrated experience in recruiting, leveraging, managing, and collaborating with a nonprofit Board of Trustees and organizational leaders.
Comfort with technology; ability to enhance systems and work with a variety of software and online applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, social media platforms, etc.)
Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable and innovative approach to business planning.
Passionate and idealistic with integrity; mission-driven and self-directed.
Ability to understand and be empathetic to HIV/AIDS and the psychological, physical, and socioeconomic implications of those afflicted with and affected by the disease, and the ability to understand the needs of the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with people from a variety of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, religious, sexual, gender and generational backgrounds.
Additional Key Qualities + Notes
Goal-oriented self-starter.
Extroverted and personable.
High emotional intelligence, culturally competent, and an effective communicator.
Collaborative and kind-spirited.
CURRENT TEAM STRUCTURE + STAFF SNAPSHOT
*Please do not contact the organization or its leaders directly
CANAPI is proud to be led by a small but mighty team of dedicated professionals who bring heart, expertise, and lived-experience to their work every day. The current staff structure is primarily focused on mission delivery—from housing and prevention services to community engagement and client advocacy.
Key roles the Executive Director will directly manage include:
A Director of Operations, who ensures daily operations, grant compliance, and strategic alignment.
Two Program Managers overseeing essential housing and prevention services, including HIV prevention, Lavender Landing, and several HUD-supported initiatives.
In addition, CANAPI has a compact team of specialists, including maintenance and outreach staff, who deliver client-centered support and direct services. These individuals are managed by the Director of Operations and/or Program Managers. Collectively, this staff is CANAPI’s front line—delivering programs, supporting clients, and representing the organization in the community.
It’s important to note that while the team excels in service delivery, CANAPI currently lacks internal capacity in areas like development, communications, and outreach staffing. There are no full-time positions currently dedicated to fundraising, marketing, or community engagement beyond programmatic work. As such, the incoming Executive Director will play a critical role in shaping what future investments in these areas might look like, and how the organization tells its story, expands its reach, and strengthens long-term sustainability.
BOARD LEADERSHIP + SEARCH COMMITTEE
CANAPI’s Board of Trustees is composed of committed local leaders who bring a wide range of professional expertise and deep care for the LGBTQ+ community. Several members of the Board’s Executive Team are currently supporting the organization in a shared interim leadership capacity, working closely with staff to ensure continuity, collaboration, and forward momentum during this transition. These individuals are highlighted with a * next to their name.
Key members include:
*Julie Beckert, President — An experienced civic leader focused on business development and neighborhood revitalization for the City of Akron. Julie brings a background in event planning and has long been involved with LGBTQ+ initiatives across Summit County.
*Justin Lepley, J.D., Vice President — A serial entrepreneur and community builder, Justin leads several ventures in Akron and serves as Director of the Northside Marketplace. He also supports mentoring and LGBTQ+ philanthropy through his fund and board service.
Stephanie Marsh, Secretary — Currently serving as Chief Communications Officer for the Office of the Mayor of Akron, Stephanie is a seasoned communications strategist and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate with deep community ties.
*Kaye Rowe, Treasurer — A financial professional with extensive nonprofit accounting experience, Kaye supports operational integrity and fiscal strategy through her dual role as SEI Senior Director of Finances and Board Treasurer.
Phil Montgomery, Executive Team Member + ED Search Chair — Summit County’s Director of Finance and Budget, Phil brings deep knowledge of public finance and extensive nonprofit board experience, including leadership roles with the Gay Community Endowment Fund and the Akron Pride Festival.
Together, the Board is eager to welcome and support a visionary leader who can partner with them to evolve the next chapter of CANAPI’s impact.
COMPENSATION and BENEFITS
The expected salary range for this Executive Director position is approximately $75,000-$95,000. The final salary will consider a person's experience, accomplishments, leadership potential, and all elements of the employment package offered to the chosen candidate. CANAPI is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.
Medical & Vision Benefits
Paid Time Off & Holidays
CANAPI will provide a 403(b) plan as an employee retirement plan for regular full-time employees (1,000 hours annually) effective January 1, 2026. Details are still being developed, but employees must complete a 90-day probationary period to be eligible to receive employer contributions.
LOCATION
This position is required to function from CANAPI’s Highland Square (Akron) offices 5 days a week, M-F, 9am-5pm, and as required on evenings and weekends. This role is also required to travel across the NE Ohio region for meetings and other business development requirements with great and expected frequency and requires stable, personal transportation and a valid driver’s license.
EEO and DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and INCLUSION
CANAPI maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment. It is their objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. CANAPI’s equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.
CANAPI is a welcoming and inclusive organization, so all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Qualified candidates from historically marginalized groups often self-select out of applying to positions if they don’t meet all the requirements listed. Qualified candidates may not meet every single part of this description but still have strong experience and expertise to offer.
BACKGROUND CHECKS and CREDENTIALS VERIFICATION
Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. CANAPI will verify its candidates' employment and academic credentials at the time of offer.
Due to the nature of the mission and work performed, CANAPI performs background checks on all staff members as a condition of employment. Background check results that indicate a conviction do not necessarily disqualify you from employment. CANAPI reserves the right to request further information to fully assess an applicant's candidacy in relation to the job duties associated with the position.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS (read carefully)
To formally apply for this position, please send a brief cover letter, a copy of your resume, references, and a coordinating email to the Executive Search Committee at execsearch@canapi.org with the subject line: CANAPI ED – Your Full Name.
Inquiries and nominations of qualified candidates should be sent directly to the Executive Search Committee via email as well. CANAPI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will review candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.