The Opportunity

One Hundred Miles (OHM) is a coastal conservation nonprofit organization working to protect Georgia’s coast through advocacy, education, and community engagement. Since its founding in 2013, OHM has grown from a bold idea into an influential, highly respected organization with a talented staff, an engaged board, a broad network of advocates, strong philanthropic support, trusted relationships, and a record of impact in protecting the landscapes, wildlife, communities, and quality of life that make coastal Georgia extraordinary. You can read more about its recent accomplishments, staff, financial stewardship, and current issues in the FY2025 Annual Report.

After more than a decade of leadership by its founding leader, OHM is preparing for an important transition in recruiting the next President & CEO. This leader will inherit an organization in strong financial and organizational health. The opportunity is to understand what has made the organization successful, preserve and build on those strengths, and help a maturing organization move confidently into its next era at an urgent moment for Georgia’s coast.

OHM’s next leader must bring an unwavering commitment to the mission along with the judgment to know how best to advance it. That will require both courage and collaboration: a willingness to take bold positions when the stakes demand it, while also building coalitions and finding common ground with partners who may not share OHM’s perspective on every issue.

This is not a caretaker role; OHM is seeking a leader prepared to build on its success, make consequential decisions, and lead with conviction. The next leader will honor OHM’s legacy and strengths while bringing their own experience, relationships, instincts, and leadership style to the work. Success will require both continuity and evolution.

The Organization

OHM’s vision is a future in which coastal Georgia’s people, wildlife, and environment thrive. Its work spans responsible development, land use, water, wetlands, climate resilience, wildlife, environmental health, education, and community engagement. OHM combines grassroots organizing, public education, policy and legislative advocacy, scientific information, relationship building, and coalition leadership.

The organization has built an advocacy network of more than 43,000 people and has demonstrated an ability to work locally, statewide, and with national partners. OHM is bold in taking a stand on issues and does not shy away from litigation, public advocacy, or grassroots organizing.

At the same time, OHM recognizes that durable conservation requires collaboration. Georgia’s coast is a distinctive place, shaped by close-knit communities, local and state politics, long-standing relationships, and constituencies that may see the same issues very differently. OHM’s strategic plan calls for finding common ground with people and organizations whose interests intersect with coastal conservation and for strengthening the capacity of partners across the region.

OHM is a financially strong organization with an engaged and active board, 15 full-time staff working from offices in Brunswick, Savannah, and Darien, and a growing annual operating budget approaching $2 million. The organization has also recently completed a successful $6 million capital campaign, One Hundred Miles, One Coast, reflecting strong philanthropic support and confidence in OHM’s mission and future. Its board and professional staff both bring environmental expertise across conservation, advocacy, education, philanthropy, communications, and operations, providing the next President & CEO with a strong foundation from which to lead the organization’s next chapter.

The organization is guided by core values of Innovation, Resilience, Justice & Equity, Transparency, and Engagement. Internally, OHM has articulated expectations and team values of Integrity, Initiative, Communication, and One Team. Together, these values reflect an organization that is courageous, accountable, collaborative, open to learning, and deeply connected to the people and places it serves.

OHM’s current strategic plan provides a clear framework for the work ahead. Priorities include strengthening the broader conservation movement, advancing climate resilience, advocating for responsible development, addressing threats to water, wildlife, air quality, and public health, expanding opportunities for people to experience and protect the coast, and continuing to strengthen OHM itself through thoughtful growth and investment in its people.

The Mandate

The President & CEO will be responsible for leading OHM into its next chapter. The role requires the urgency, courage, integrity, collaborative orientation, and mission focus that have defined the organization. The work will require an executive who can lead internally and externally; manage a strong team; make thoughtful choices about priorities; raise resources; engage in advocacy; and represent OHM with credibility across the coast and beyond.

Key priorities will include:

• Translate OHM’s strategic plan into operational priorities and measurable progress; articulate a compelling, forward-looking vision for the coast; and remain responsive to urgent needs as they emerge.
• Lead a thoughtful transition from a long-serving founding executive. Listen first, understand the history and relationships that matter, and build trust while making significant changes.
• Build on organizational strengths while continuing to strengthen systems, structures, role clarity, and internal communication as OHM matures, with a collaborative spirit but willingness to lead decisively.
• Lead, develop, and retain a talented staff. Set clear expectations, delegate meaningfully, coach and develop people, address problems directly, and create accountability without diminishing initiative.
• Maintain the organization’s strong financial position and bring the discipline to align people, programs, resources, and strategy.
• Partner as an integral part of fundraising and the primary external ambassador, expanding OHM’s visibility and circle of support. Build relationships with donors and funders, make a compelling case for investment, and effectively engage with staff and the Board in sustaining and growing philanthropic support.
• Build credibility across communities, understand the history behind relationships and disagreements, and work effectively with people whose political, economic, or conservation perspectives differ.
• Engage in advocacy and understand what it means to litigate, lobby, and educate. Bring strong judgment about when to push, when to listen, when to negotiate, when to convene, and when a long-term relationship may matter as much as a short-term win.
• Work in close partnership with the Board, using its experience, relationships, and commitment while providing the clarity and leadership necessary for strong governance.

The President and CEO must be able to build trust across ideological, political, geographic, racial, socioeconomic, and professional differences. They should be able to find common ground without sacrificing principle, and to build coalitions around shared interests in the spirit of conservation. With this, the President and CEO must determine where OHM should lead, where it should partner, and where its resources can have the greatest impact.

This is a time of tremendous growth and development on Georgia’s coast, alongside a changing policy and regulatory environment. There is urgency in OHM’s work, and that work must continue confidently through this important leadership transition.

The Ideal Candidate

There are multiple pathways to this role. The next President & CEO may come from conservation, environmental advocacy, law or public policy, a land or water organization, philanthropy, civic leadership, government, community-based advocacy, or another mission-driven environment. What matters most is the combination of leadership ability, sound judgment, management strength, relationship building, fundraising capacity, and authentic commitment to the mission.

The strongest candidates will bring:

• A genuine commitment to coastal conservation and to the diverse people, wildlife, communities, and landscapes of Georgia’s coast.
• Significant organizational leadership experience and the judgment to lead through a consequential transition.
• A strong record as a manager of people, including the ability to set direction, develop talent, delegate, communicate clearly, and create healthy accountability.
• Significant credibility in conservation, advocacy, public policy, and/or civic engagement, with a record of ability to succeed due to influence, persistence, and sound judgment.
• Experience using or working alongside a range of advocacy tools, including litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and education.
• Fundraising ability and comfort building relationships with individual donors, foundations, institutional partners, and other supporters.
• Financial and operational fluency, including an understanding of the legal and regulatory considerations governing nonprofit advocacy, or the ability to master them quickly.
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an effective public presence.
• Courage, steadiness, resilience, humility, and pragmatism.
• A willingness to listen, learn quickly, share credit, take responsibility, and work with colleagues who bring deep expertise of their own.

Prior experience in Georgia or on the southern coast will be valuable, but it is not a requirement. Candidates who are new to the region will need to demonstrate how they will learn the coast quickly and humbly.

Relationships

Relationships are fundamental to how OHM gets its work done. The President & CEO will work with staff and Board members, donors and philanthropic partners, elected and appointed officials, agency leaders, conservation organizations, business and civic leaders, community advocates, scientists, attorneys, property owners, residents, and others whose interests intersect along the coast.

• Reports to: Board
• Manages: Staff
• Collaborates with: Diverse and varied organizations, communities, policy-makers

Location

This is a place-based leadership role. OHM’s main office is in Brunswick with additional offices in Savannah and Darien. The President & CEO must maintain a meaningful, on-the-ground presence in each office and in communities throughout coastal Georgia with occasional additional travel. This is not a role to lead from a distance.

Compensation

Compensation is expected to be in the mid-$100s, commensurate with experience and qualifications. One Hundred Miles offers a competitive benefits package.