Job Announcement Project Director Southeast Florida Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Development and Prosperity Project OPENING DATE: April 1, 2011 CLOSING DATE: LOCATION: TERM: April 29, 2011 4:30 p.m. South Florida Regional Planning Council, 3440 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 140, Hollywood, Florida 33021 Temporary three-year grant funded position PROGRAM OVERVIEW: In late fall of this year, the Southeast Florida Region was informed that it was one of 45 national recipients of a federal grant to convene key stakeholders across the region to design and establish a regional planning framework for seven counties. A brief description is attached. This award represents a turning point for both the federal government as well as Southeast Florida Region. It is groundbreaking for the federal government in that it is sponsored by HUD, US EPA and US DOT that have joined forces to form the Sustainable Communities Partnership. Their objective is to encourage long-range regional plans that meaningfully link economic development, transportation, housing, environmental sustainability, and social equity. Citizen engagement is also a high priority. It represents an important moment for Southeast Florida since the proposal was the product of an unprecedented regional collaboration between the private sector, cities, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, housing authorities, environmental and business development organizations, academia, and others across a seven-county area. The grant provides $4.25 million over three years and is supplemented with additional local matching dollars. It has a newly formed governing structure comprised of key stakeholders. The initiative is intended to establish a new and enduring framework for building regional consensus around a vision for aligning and achieving critical economic, land use, infrastructure, housing, education, social, and environmental goals. The work will be undertaken by a variety of paid staff, stakeholder participants and consultants. The effort begins immediately. An Equal Opportunity Employer http://www.sfrpc.com/
MISSION: Development of a Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Development and Prosperity (RVB) for a seven-county region in southeast Florida including Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION: The Project Director is the leader of the RVB process and effort. The position will have overall operational and management responsibility in completing the RVB process and will serve as its primary spokesperson. The Project Director will report directly to the South Florida Regional Planning Council Executive Director in consultation with the SCI Executive Committee. The Project Director will manage the activities of all members of the Planning staff involved in the project, including one Project Manager and accounting, communications, and administrative staff assigned to the project. The Project Director will oversee all consultants and contractors to ensure contracts and agreements are executed and implemented to the satisfaction of the Executive Director and Committee. Day-to-day collaboration will be required with all members of the staff to ensure the organization is able to achieve its objectives. In addition, the Project Director will work closely with stakeholders from across the region to develop consensus around the RVB and its implementation. A significant component of this grant is to build regional planning capacity by leveraging the skills, expertise and assets of existing local, sub-regional and regional institutions and stakeholders. This collection of individual and group stakeholders has been organized to form the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership. The RVB that is contemplated to be the outcome of this process must be the product of the joint effort and engagement of the partnership and the Project Director will have the charge of helping to create an environment of trust and collaboration so that these institutions and stakeholders see the RVB as their own. SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Plans, directs, coordinates, and leads activities of Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) project to ensure that goals, objectives and all elements of the RVB are accomplished within the prescribed time frame and funding parameters. 2. Review SCI/RVB funding application to determine time frame, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing project, staffing requirements, and allotment of available resources to various phases of project. 3. Establishes work plan and staffing for each phase of project, and arranges for assignment of project personnel. 4. Responsible for supervision of all consultants, the Program Manager, and all planning/administrative staff assigned to the Project to ensure it is on schedule and within budget. 5. Confers with Program Manager to outline work plan and to assign duties, responsibilities, and scope of authority.
6. Reviews status reports prepared by project personnel and modifies schedules or plans as required. Prepares project reports for presentation to Executive Committee and the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership. 7. Confers with program manager and project personnel to provide technical advice and to resolve problems. 8. Coordinates project activities with activities of Southeast Florida Regional Partnership, governmental organizations, private sector business interests, non-profit and educational institutions, and the Strategic Communication Team. 9. Responsible for overall quality and management of the SCI/RVB project. 10. Coordinate with the Strategic Communication Team on public outreach, press releases, public presentations of the work and web site development and content. 11. Research grant funding sources. 12. Develop grant proposals. 13. Oversee budget, ensure financial accountability, and establish compliance with federal reporting requirements under the grant. 14. Recommend personnel for program/project implementation. 15. Train staff. 16. Supervise program delivery, assess client needs. 17. Recognize and solve potential problems and evaluate project/program effectiveness. 18. Provide program content expertise, which will include delivering public presentations about the SCI/RVB project and communicating the project s purpose, value and importance to the Region. 19. Conducts research and write reports/articles. 20. Network with local, regional, state and national agencies; educational institutions; non profit organizations; and private sector business interests for future program development. QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Familiarity and experience with Southeast Florida s geography, economics, assets, challenges, and politics. 2. Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and regional in scope. 3. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders. Southeast Florida experience in this regard would be an asset.
4. Experience in consensus building within a large committee structure. 5. Excellent organizational skills with demonstrated ability to execute projects on time and on budget. 6. Strong interpersonal, writing, communication, facilitation and presentation skills (e.g., tact, diplomacy, etc.) 7. Strong analytical and problem solving skills. 8. Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision. 9. Demonstrated ability to work in a small team setting. 10. Good computer skills and familiarity with scenario planning is a plus. 11. Ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish languages is an asset. 12. Experience with the federal government funding process is an asset. 13. Knowledge of and belief in the six livability principles endorsed by HUD, DOT, and EPA Sustainable Communities Partnership. 14. Ability to illustrate planning and urban design concepts a plus. COMPENSATION: Compensation and benefits will be commensurate with experience and competitive for a nonprofit, public sector position. START DATE: 30 days after selection. CONTACT: Interested individuals should send resume and cover note electronically to Mr. Jack Osterholt, Interim Executive Director, at josterholt@sfrpc.com
U.S. HUD s Sustainable Communities Initiative Regional Planning Grant to the Southeast Florida Region EXECUTIVE SUMMARY December 1, 2010 TREASURE COAST REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL
The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, in partnership with the South Florida Regional Planning Council and more than 200 additional members of the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership, was recently awarded a $4.25 million Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD). One of the four top awards nationally in the regional plan development category (Category 1), this grant is part of an interagency effort by U.S. HUD, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to better align their national funding programs and to promote the creation of comprehensive investment plans for strengthening the economy and environment of Region. U.S. HUD s inaugural grants under this program will support metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts that better integrate housing, land use, economic development, community development, social equity, water/environmental protection, energy conservation, transportation and infrastructure. U.S. HUD, U.S. DOT, and U.S. EPA have outlined six guiding principles to their interagency partnership. The Southeast Florida Regional Partnership has adopted these guiding principles and added a seventh principle. These principles will guide the work of the Partnership. 1. Provide more transportation choices 2. Promote equitable, affordable housing 3. Enhance economic competitiveness 4. Support existing communities 5. Coordinate policies and leverage investment 6. Value communities and neighborhoods 7. Enhance community resilience to the impacts of climate change The Southeast Florida Regional Partnership (Partnership) is a growing partnership with more than 200 public, private, non-profit, and civic stakeholders already on board from the sevencounty region of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. The grant resources secured by the Partnership will support the development of a shared regional vision and investment plan for Southeast Florida, or a Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Development and Prosperity. The horizon year for the regional vision and plan will be 2060. Similar visions and plans have been prepared in other parts of Florida and elsewhere in the country to lay the foundation for regional consensus and collaboration around shared priorities. The grant resources will be used, in part, to: o Development of a regional vision and plan including specific implementation strategies, policies, and timelines to ensure accountability and follow-through. o Create integrated data and models to assess the region today, explore alternative futures (scenarios) for the region, and track progress toward implementation of the regional vision and plan. A monitoring plan will focus on measuring progress toward specific regional outcomes aligned with the region s guiding principles.
o Build and sustain inclusive leadership and partnerships to strengthen regional collaboration and stewardship, providing a foundation for the region s future long-term success. o Put the Region in a better position to compete for federal infrastructure and program dollars. o Better coordinate and enhance major investments in the region s infrastructure for trade, transportation, housing, communities, and the environment to create improved choices for South Floridians through the development and implementation a regional vision and plan that will result in new jobs, housing, and educational opportunities; an improved environment; and a region that will be a leader in a new economy. The Regional Vision and Blueprint for Economic Development and Prosperity will incorporate the regional vision and include the following elements. Additional elements based on community input are anticipated. 1. Full Transportation Choice 2. Full Housing Choice 3. Inclusive Economic Development and Prosperity 4. Community Resiliency 5. Sustainable Water and Wastewater Infrastructure 6. A Healthy Environment 7. Community Assets and Culture 8. Inclusive Regional Leadership 9. Healthy Communities Southeast Florida is home to 6.2 million people (one-third of Florida s total population) who, combined, create the fifth largest metropolitan region in the country. It is also a region in transition. Among the issues that go beyond traditional local boundaries, and are reshaping the region, are international migration, education and workforce development, economic development and diversification, global trade and expansion of the Panama Canal, Everglades restoration, transportation, water management, housing, employment, and tourism. How we jointly address these and other issues could very well determine Southeast Florida s long term success. What happens next The announcement of the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership award was the first step toward finalizing a cooperative grant agreement with U.S. HUD. The Treasure Coast and South Florida Regional Planning Councils have submitted the necessary paperwork required by U.S. HUD to date. We are now in the process of creating a nonprofit corporation for the Partnership, assembling the executive committee which will serve as an advisory body to the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils as we move forward with the grant, and preparing a revised work plan and budget for the grant activities. The cooperative agreement for HUD funding was signed in late February 2010. Advertising for two key leadership positions (Project Director and Program Manager) for the project is underway.