Executive Search

Position Overview

The Executive Director (ED) is the chief management leader of ISAWWA and the primary point of accountability to the Board of Trustees for all operational, financial, programmatic, and strategic outcomes. The ED translates the Board’s vision into action, leads the professional staff, cultivates relationships across Illinois’ water sector, and serves as ISAWWA’s most visible external ambassador.

This is a role for a connector and a servant leader: member-focused, collaborative, transparent, and deeply invested in relationship-building across the state. ISAWWA is a volunteer-driven association, and the ED’s most important work is empowering volunteers and staff to do theirs.

This is a full-time, exempt role located in Naperville, Illinois. The ED reports to the Board of Trustees.

Top Priorities for the Executive Director

• Execute ISAWWA’s 2025–2028 strategic plan in partnership with the Board, staff, and volunteer leaders, with measurable progress on all four strategic pillars.
• Grow and retain membership across Illinois’ geographically diverse districts.
• Deepen volunteer engagement: communicate clearly, set well-defined expectations, recognize contributions consistently, and empower volunteers with genuine ownership of their work.
• Represent the face and voice of ISAWWA, acting as the chief implementer of Board policy—building and sustaining productive relationships with IEPA, IDNR, legislative bodies, allied associations, and the broader Illinois water community.
• Lead and support a high-performing office team while maintaining a culture that is positive, collaborative, and mission-centered.
• Support staff and volunteer leaders in advancing ISAWWA’s workforce development and next-generation pipeline efforts, including the Water Ambassador Program and emerging apprenticeship and mentoring programs.
• Ensure the financial health and integrity of the organization, including responsible budget management, revenue diversification, and transparent reporting to the Board.
• Deliver WATERCON and all signature events at a consistently high standard while continuously improving the educational programming portfolio. 

Key Responsibilities

Board Governance & Strategic Leadership

• • Serve as the primary staff resource to the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, supporting informed decision-making, effective policy development, and sound governance practices.
  • Staff and participate in all Board and Executive Committee meetings; prepare and distribute agendas, supporting materials, and timely follow-up.
  • Lead implementation of the Board’s strategic plan, providing regular updates on progress, emerging challenges, and recommended course corrections.
  • Partner with the Board Chair and incoming leadership to ensure seamless officer transitions and sustained organizational momentum.

Financial Management & Organizational Viability

• • Maintain the fiscal integrity of ISAWWA, ensuring the organization operates within approved budgets and maintains a healthy financial reserve
  • Prepare and present the annual budget to the Board, including year-over-year comparisons and clear financial forecasting.
  • Provide monthly financial statements and reports that accurately reflect the organization’s condition, with full transparency to the Board.
  • Identify and execute revenue opportunities—including sponsorship, program fees, and partnerships—to sustain and grow the association’s financial base.
  • Review and approve all contracts for services on behalf of the organization.

Programs, Education & Events

• • Oversee the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of ISAWWA’s programming portfolio, including WATERCON, the Leadership Summit, district events, regulatory compliance education, and online learning.
  • Ensure all programming is mission-aligned, market-relevant, financially sound, and effectively promoted.
  • Track industry trends—particularly in water regulation (PFAS, emerging contaminants, federal funding), technology, and workforce—to proactively update educational content.
  • Recruit, develop, and support volunteers to plan and execute programs across the state.
  • Establish and operationalize a post-program evaluation process to measure outcomes and guide continuous improvement.

Member & Volunteer Engagement

• • Center the membership experience: ensure that every program, initiative, and communication reflects a genuine orientation toward member value and volunteer respect.
  • Cultivate meaningful engagement across all levels of involvement—matching opportunities to members’ available time, experience, and interest.
  • Maintain a visible, accessible presence at major events, and selected district and committee events to build relationships and industry knowledge firsthand.
  • Communicate clearly and consistently with volunteers: set well-defined role expectations, provide timely information, express genuine appreciation, and solicit feedback after events and programs.
  • Advance strategic member engagement initiatives aligned with the plan, including but not limited to district visitation days, committee development, and the “open house” approach to welcoming new participants.
  • Oversee ISAWWA’s communications strategy—including social media, the member app, newsletters, and the website—to increase member visibility and participation.

External Relations & Advocacy

• • Cultivate and sustain productive relationships with IEPA, IDNR, legislative bodies, and community organizations across Illinois.
  • Represent ISAWWA at the state and national level, including active engagement with AWWA and peer AWWA sections.
  • Support the Water Utility Council and related committees as they connect members to the legislative and regulatory landscape, including coordinating events, meetings, and regulatory updates as necessary.
  • Actively build collaborative relationships with complementary water and environmental organizations (including WEF, WRA, IAWA, and APWA) to broaden ISAWWA’s reach, serve members better, and reduce duplication of effort.

Staff Leadership & Operations

• • Lead and develop a fully staffed office team, maintaining a positive, productive, and mission-driven work environment in which staff are empowered to operate with appropriate independence.
  • Hold exclusive authority for staff hiring, advancement, assignment, and termination within Board-approved budgets and applicable legal requirements.
  • Conduct regular supervision, annual performance evaluations, and professional development planning for all staff.
  • Establish and maintain employment policies, administrative procedures, and HR practices in compliance with federal and Illinois law.
  • Oversee day-to-day office operations, including payroll administration, vendor contracts, and facility management at the Naperville office.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• • Minimum five years of demonstrated senior leadership in a nonprofit association, professional society, or comparable organization.
  • Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder organizations with professional staff and volunteer leadership structures.
  • Experience planning and executing large-scale conferences and educational programming.
  • Demonstrated financial acumen, including budget management, financial reporting, and revenue development.
  • Experience working with or reporting to a volunteer board of directors.
  • Undergraduate degree required.
  • Demonstrated ability to learn and lead credibly in a technical industry.
  • An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may substitute for specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• • AWWA section or water-sector experience.
  • Working knowledge of the water, wastewater, or environmental sector.
  • Advanced degree or CAE (Certified Association Executive) credential.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• • A genuine relationship-builder—comfortable and credible with engineers, regulators, legislators, utility managers, volunteers, and community leaders alike.
  • Collaborative and member-focused by nature—someone who leads through empowerment rather than control, and who understands that in a volunteer-driven association, how you engage people matters as much as what you accomplish.
  • A transparent, direct communicator who keeps people informed, sets clear expectations, and invites honest feedback.
  • Strategically oriented with strong execution instincts—able to translate vision into operational plans and hold the organization accountable for results.
  • Deep understanding of volunteer dynamics: how to motivate, guide, recognize, and retain volunteer leaders without formal authority—and how not to over-ask or micromanage.
  • Financial fluency, including the ability to read and interpret financial statements, manage budgets, and communicate fiscal health clearly to a lay board.
  • A self-starter with entrepreneurial energy—proactively identifies opportunities and solves problems before they escalate.
  • Adaptable and change-ready — confident leading through transition, willing to bring fresh thinking and challenge the status quo while honoring what makes ISAWWA strong.
  • High integrity and a strong ethical compass—in decision-making, communications, and stewardship of member resources.
  • Proficiency with technology tools relevant to association management, including AMS platforms, virtual meeting facilitation, social media, and productivity software.
  • Willingness to travel within Illinois for district events and nationally for AWWA engagement.

Compensation & Benefits 

The Executive Director leads a professional staff team of five, exclusive of the ED. ISAWWA offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, including:

• Salary range: $135K–$165K
• 5% SEP IRA contribution
• Employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus a monthly stipend toward family health coverage
• Expense reimbursement for travel and business expenses
• Paid time off and holidays in accordance with the ISAWWA Employee Handbook

 To Apply

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a resume and a cover letter describing their relevant leadership experience and interest in this role. Please send materials to (Please include “ISAWWA Executive Director” in the subject line):

Elisa Pratt, MA, CAE, CVF
Executive Search Advisor, Brewer Pratt Solutions, LLC
[email protected]

ISAWWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from all backgrounds and experience.

 

 About ISAWWA

The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA) is a 501(c)(3) membership association committed to “safe and sustainable water for Illinois.” Based in Naperville, Illinois, ISAWWA serves water and wastewater professionals, utilities, engineers, scientists, and public officials across the state. As one of AWWA’s premier state sections, ISAWWA advances its mission through education, advocacy, workforce development, and community outreach.

ISAWWA’s 2025–2028 strategic plan is organized around four pillars: increasing member engagement, optimizing educational programming with a focus on emerging trends and regulations, developing and sustaining the next generation of water industry professionals, and raising public awareness of the total water cycle. The incoming Executive Director will own the execution of this agenda.