Lombardi to step down, Lykins seeks new Executive Director

File Photo

The Lykins Neighborhood Association (LNA) is hiring a new Executive Director. For the last three years Gregg Lombardi has served as both the Executive Director of the Lykins Neighborhood Association and the Executive Director of Neighborhood Legal Support of Kansas City (NLS).

Now that NLS is starting a Focused Community Development project in a new neighborhood, Lombardi has given notice that he will be stepping down from his responsibilities as LNA Executive Director. According to the neighborhood, this provides a great opportunity for a new Executive Director to devote full-time responsibility to implementing the vision of the neighborhood. NLS will still continue to do legal work in Lykins and Lombardi is happy to be a resource for the new Executive Director – if requested to do so.

The Executive Director serves the residents of an extremely diverse and predominately low-income neighborhood. At the direction of the LNA Board, staff, residents, and other stakeholders, the Executive Director develops and implements the strategic and operational plan for the organization. LNA is a young and nimble non-profit that requires its Executive Director to fill many roles.

The Executive Director job is a full-time position, with a likely salary of between $45,000 and $60,000 per year, DOE, and health insurance. The work is gratifying and the LNA team is great to work with. We encourage bilingual applicants, although being bilingual is not a requirement for the job.

The Executive Director leads, coaches, develops, evaluates, and retains staff and volunteers in implementing LNA’s strategic vision and operational plan, ensuring programmatic excellence. The position also serves as LNA’s Development Director. The Executive Director is the primary fund-raiser and grant-writer for the organization. A collaborating not-for-profit organization — Neighborhood Legal Support of Kansas City (“NLS”), which formerly served as LNA’s fiscal agent and formerly handled all fund-raising for LNA — will provide some assistance and mentoring in this work.

The Executive Director also is responsible for all grant reporting and other communications with funders, serves as LNA’s Chief Financial Officer, reviews and prepares monthly financial data and oversees that data. The position is the primary person responsible for data collection for LNA’s annual audit, when and if an audit is required. The position also negotiates and implements LNA contracts, develops and effectively uses metrics for evaluation of LNA’s success and uses those metrics to regularly evaluate and make changes to the organization to make LNA more effective in accomplishing its mission, facilitates meetings and agendas. The responsibility of orchestrating, staffing and sourcing funding for monthly neighborhood clean-ups also falls to the Executive Director.

Lykins is looking for a new Executive Director to build organizational capacity on an individual level with neighborhood leadership, and to design and oversees door-to-door outreach, the neighborhood calendar, the work of neighborhood liaisons, and the work of the Programming Director and Communications Director. The Executive Director will cultivate and maintain relationships with aligning organizations, specifically in the Historic Northeast neighborhoods of Kansas City.

LNA desires someone with some experience or training in neighborhood governance, at least two years of management experience — preferably in a not-for-profit organization — conflict resolution training and experience; experience with Google Drive, Zoom and Microsoft Office products; strong digital communications skills; a commitment to representation and inclusivity; an understanding of Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhoods; a proven ability to collaborate effectively both with staff and other project partners; excellent problem solving-skills, paired with an excellent ability to recognize opportunities; strong communication skills, including excellent listening and writing skills.

Neighborhood residents have a wide array of strongly held and diverse perspectives on issues that the neighborhood is facing based on their lived experiences. Accordingly, discussions about neighborhood issues can occasionally be intense and deal with sensitive issues. So, the candidate should have the ability to manage intense and strongly felt conversations in good faith and with discretion, a positive attitude and proven ability to persevere and lead in challenging situations, the ability to accept criticism tactfully and to recognize its value, and a great sense of humor.

The neighborhood prefers the new Executive Director be bilingual, particularly in Spanish, have some Diversity and Inclusion Training, some community organizing experience, an understanding of Kansas City governance structure and an understanding of housing policy.

The Lykins Neighborhood is home to many immigrants and refugees from all over the world. As such, centering the voices of those who do not speak English, or who are unfamiliar with neighborhood governance is critical in this work. This organization is serving a population with a median household income below $25,000. As such, taking into account the various economic barriers to participation is critical to this work. It is important to look around the room and say, “Who is not being represented in this space?”

This job requires some evening and weekend availability, some physical ability and willingness to pitch in and get your hands dirty, one to lean into tense conversations and create space for disagreements to be acknowledged in a healthy manner, and the willingness to create space for celebration after hard work pays off.

In addition to the Executive Director position, LNA has one full-time staff member – the Programming Director for the Lykins Community Resource Center. We also have a part-time Program Facilitator who handles bookkeeping for the organization and a part-time Communications Director. You can learn more about us at lykinsneighborhood.com. A copy of the Executive Director job description is attached.

If you know of anyone who is interested in applying, please have them send a resume to Gregg Lombardi at gregg@nls4kc.org.  There is no application deadline, but the neighborhood association encourages people to apply before the end of the day on Wednesday, March 1. The full job description can be viewed here: https://files.constantcontact.com/0fd8e00c701/3205ad82-3560-4efc-ba3b-e72ca599b899.pdf.

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • Murder charges filed in Elizabeth Stivers homicide case

    8 hours ago
    by

    Charges have been filed against Elizabeth Stivers’ neighbor, 24-year-old Darion Hall, for her murder last week. On Wednesday, the Jackson […]


    Kansas City Museum’s Derby Party fundraiser celebrates Worlds of Fun 

    20 hours ago
    by

    Tickets are on sale now for the 8th Annual Derby Party. The Kansas City Museum’s annual fundraiser is back on […]


    Loved ones gather to mourn homicide victim Elizabeth Stivers

    20 hours ago
    by

    Family and friends of Elizabeth Stivers gathered in front of her home on 7th Street Sunday evening to mourn, lighting […]


    Jazz Draft takes over 18th and Vine!

    20 hours ago
    by

    UNESCO Creative City of Music – USA, in collaboration with the American Jazz Museum, will present a 12-hour jam session […]


    Let there be STEM!

    20 hours ago
    by

    Over 300 students, ranging from kindergarteners to seniors in high school, packed into Union Station’s north waiting room on a […]


    ¡Que haya STEM!

    20 hours ago
    by

    Más de trescientos estudiantes, desde niños de preescolar hasta estudiantes de último año de secundaria, abarrotaron la sala de espera […]


    Childcare owner marks 43 years of caring

    20 hours ago
    by

    The classroom is dark, and toddlers are stretched out on small cots for their afternoon nap. But Vonnie Occhipinto’s phone […]


    Pearl’s Beauty Salon closes as longtime owner retires

    20 hours ago
    by

    With nimble fingers, Pearl Battaglia wraps short, silver hair around perm rods for one of her regular customers at Pearl’s […]


    Suspect cites voodoo for Independence and Olive Homicide

    March 17th, 2023
    by

    Ibrahim A. Sharif Ahmed, 38 of Kansas City North cited voodoo as the partial cause for the killing of Abdullahi […]


  • Family mourns homicide victim, plans vigil

    March 17th, 2023
    by

    The family of Elizabeth Stivers is mourning after she was killed Tuesday evening in Lykins. They plan to hold a […]


    One dead in Independence and Olive homicide

    March 16th, 2023
    by

    Wednesday evening just before 9 p.m., Kansas City, MO Police officers (KCPD) were called to the area of Independence Boulevard […]


    Disturbance ends in homicide near 7th and Spruce

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    One woman is dead following a disturbance in Lykins. Tuesday evening just after 9:15 PM, Kansas City, MO Police officers […]


    Lead To Read increases literacy rates in Northeast elementary schools

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    Abby HooverManaging Editor In a James Elementary first grade classroom, students are paired off with adults, quietly reading or working […]


    Community outreach programs brought to you by Jerusalem Farm

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    “WHAT CAN WE DO TODAY, SO THAT TOMORROW WE CAN DO WHAT WE CANNOT DO TODAY?” KC Tenants is organizing […]


    RevEd Hosts Parent Power, an Event Celebrating the Power of Northeast Families

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia-MontoyaEducation Reporter Community members filled the RevEd space last Wednesday to celebrate parents who played an important role in […]


    North Lawn tenants demand safe, affordable housing

    March 10th, 2023
    by

    Tenants of the Gladstone Court Apartments are making demands for safe, affordable housing of the building’s new owner after the […]


    In District & At Large Fourth District City Council Forum

    March 8th, 2023
    by

    On Tuesday, March 7, the Northeast News, the Citizens’ Association and the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce hosted candidates […]


    Community gets to know KCPS candidates

    March 8th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia MontoyaEducation reporter On Sunday evening, community members gathered at the Show Me KC Schools space at 2201 Lexington […]


  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.