Position Specification

Buckhead Coalition
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Background

The Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead Community Improvement District collaborate closely to develop and implement strategies that ensure Buckhead remains a vibrant and inviting destination for businesses, residents, and visitors.

The Buckhead Coalition is an active, member-led organization comprised of 125 senior executive business and civic leaders committed to improving the quality of life for Buckhead residents, businesses, and visitors. The Buckhead Coalition’s mission is to advocate on behalf of the community within the city of Atlanta and metropolitan region; to support the well-being of Buckhead’s residents, businesses and visitors; to convene public and private sector leaders and partner organizations; and to connect Buckhead to other areas of the city and region. The Buckhead Coalition serves greater Buckhead, a broad and diverse area that includes not only the commercial core but also residential neighborhoods, and the broader community. Buckhead Coalition members have collective influence on important issues that impact the Buckhead community and the City of Atlanta, including public safety, city services, planning and zoning, transportation infrastructure, and homelessness.

The Buckhead Community Improvement District (Buckhead CID) is a local government entity that invests tax dollars collected from commercial property owners within Buckhead’s commercial core district to improve Buckhead’s transportation network and public domain. The mission of the Buckhead CID is to create and maintain a more accessible and vibrant urban environment. The Buckhead CID meets the challenges of growth by investing tax dollars collected from commercial property owners within the district, as well as other funds leveraged from outside the district, to make meaningful improvements in the transportation network and public realm that connect people and places.

The Buckhead CID operates in the commercial heart of Buckhead, roughly from Roxboro Rd. in the east to Roswell Rd. in the west, and from Old Ivy Rd. in the north to Pharr Rd. in the south. This roughly square mile area encompasses Buckhead’s major retail districts, hotels and commercial office buildings.

The Buckhead Coalition was founded in 1988 by former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, who served as president from its creation until retirement in 2020. The Buckhead Coalition advocated for and created the Buckhead CID in 1999, which has since funded projects and programs addressing transportation needs and other aspects of the public realm that have set the stage for Buckhead’s commercial core to be a more walkable and vibrant urban center.

The Opportunity

While the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID each have their own distinct focus, audience, and governance structures, the boards of each organization made the decision in 2020 to have one executive lead both organizations. This shared leadership allows for powerful synergies that ultimately serve to best position Buckhead in the marketplace and improve the quality of life of its stakeholders and constituents.

Referred to as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Buckhead Coalition, the CEO serves as the leader of the Buckhead Coalition and the Executive Director of the Buckhead CID.

The CEO reports to the Executive Management Committee, a five-person committee comprised of two Buckhead Coalition Board Members and three Buckhead CID Board Members.

Jim Durrett has successfully led the Buckhead CID since 2009 and the Buckhead Coalition since 2020. He has announced his intent to retire in early 2026, thus paving the way for a new leader to helm the organizations.

The Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID meet this moment of leadership transition from a position of strength and opportunity. The incoming leader will have the chance to build upon the organizations’ strong track records of shaping Buckhead into a vibrant, welcoming community for businesses, residents, and visitors alike.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Executive Management Committee, the new CEO will be responsible for the unified efforts of the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID, providing leadership across programs, finance, operations, and strategy. This is a multifaceted role, calling for an ambitious and accomplished leader able to innovatively build on the substantial strengths of the organizations as they work in partnership to drive forward an even more vibrant Buckhead.

The CEO will ensure success in ensuring Buckhead’s prominence as an economically vibrant, culturally rich location of choice via direct project management and an integrated approach to elevating Buckhead’s visibility and reputation.

Specific responsibilities of the leader include:

Strategic Leadership

• Provide the vision required to foster a collaborative environment of growth and innovation while responding to and ultimately serving the needs of stakeholders.
• Convey and inspire others in the mission of the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID and the work required to collectively advance Buckhead.
• Work together with the Executive Management Committee, the boards of the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID, members, and public and private stakeholders in establishing strategic priorities.
• Represent Buckhead to a wide audience with compelling conviction, while also embodying a commitment to listening, supporting, and collaborating with other communities.
• Champion comprehensive communication strategies.

Operational Leadership

• Lead the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID staff in executing on and achieving strategic priorities.
• Drive forward initiatives and programs with entities with allied missions, including Livable Buckhead, Buckhead Business Association, City of Atlanta, Fulton County, State of Georgia, MARTA, Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire & Rescue, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta Police Foundation, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Midtown Alliance, Central Atlanta Progress, Buckhead NPUs, Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods, Buckhead public and private schools, houses of worship, and non-profits.
• Stay informed of trends, events, disruptions, and changes that impact progress on priorities and act in response to and in line with the interests of their stakeholders. 

Governance Leadership

• Partner closely with and drive engagement from the Executive Management Committee and both boards, comprised of influential senior executives, through frequent communication, transparency, and clearly established, ambitious, and maintained priorities.
• Provide information necessary for the boards to be high-functioning and make informed decisions.

Team Leadership

• Build a positive and affirming work environment, ensuring that the management, staffing, and culture of the organizations align with their missions and strategic ambitions.
• Encourage transparency, openness, and mutual respect.
• Provide focused, disciplined, and decisive management capable of establishing clear priorities and maintaining strategic focus.
• Upgrade technology, systems, and practices to facilitate the team’s ability to drive increased impact.

Administrative and Fiscal Leadership

• Ensure sound administrative and fiscal management via strong financial and operational systems, budgetary processes, and data collection and correlation.
• Maintain responsibility for the financial stability and the development of resources to support the work of both the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID.
• Be accountable to the Executive Management Committee, boards, tax and assessment payers, and the public; adhere to the highest ethical standards; and ensure that both organizations function in accordance with the law.

Candidate Profile

The Executive Management Committee is seeking a visionary leader with exceptional interpersonal skills and convening power, intellectual breadth, and demonstrated operational skills and management savvy. The leader will bring experience working closely with a Board, staff, and other constituents to achieve ambitious goals. The leader will possess experience managing complex budgets and bring a sophisticated understanding of public private partnerships and civic engagement and knowledge and appreciation of economic development.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

Communications and Driving Influence

• Brings the ability to influence internally and externally through informed vision, powerful charisma, active drive, political skill, and networking – while bringing multi-constituency sensitivity.
• An inspiring communicator, who can articulate Buckhead’s vision and direction to a wide audience (including policymakers, corporate leaders, neighborhood association leaders, and the broader community) as well as being effective one-on-one.
• Brings the ability to develop a personal brand in tandem with Buckhead, such that the leader becomes the go-to person for all potential opportunities that could involve the district.

Leading Networks

• Understands the matrixed leadership environment of a major metropolitan area and can operate with effectiveness and political savvy in such an environment.
• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence, a service mentality, and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• Encourages others (internally and externally) to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the collective.

Leading Teams

• Brings the requisite governance experience and interpersonal influence to effectively partner with and manage high-profile board members and oversee a highly visible institution.
• Demonstrates the ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
• Projects comfort when faced with ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Leads with self-reflection and an awareness of their own limitations.
• Leads by example and drives the organization’s performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.

Setting Strategy

• Has experience developing and executing a strategic plan involving the perspectives and priorities of a wide range of stakeholders.
• Possesses the ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organizations.
• Seeks and analyzes data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the overall strategy.
• Exhibits an entrepreneurial and creative approach.
• Creates realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Executing for Results

• Ability to undertake well-reasoned, calculated risks, while seeking data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions.
• Is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions.
• Demonstrates the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.

 

Contact

Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search. Prospective candidates are invited to send their CV and a cover letter to BuckheadLeadership@RussellReynolds.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.