About the Commission

The Lake County Winegrape Commission is an agricultural commission (a state agency created by the Legislature in Division 22 of the California Food and Agricultural Code) responsible for developing marketing and education projects that promote Lake County winegrapes and the local Lake County winegrape industry.

About the Position

The Commission is seeking an experienced person to serve as President and manage the Commission’s operations and its marketing and education initiatives. The ideal candidate must be experienced and highly adept in handling a wide range of administrative, marketing and promotional, and educational activities and will be able to work independently with little supervision. This position requires excellent organizational skills, flexibility, initiative, resourcefulness and a proactive and professional orientation.

As President, the ideal candidate will also be responsible for ensuring that the Lake County Winegrape Commission Board of Directors and its committees are aware of and fulfill their unique governance responsibilities, including complying with the Commission’s bylaws, policies, and procedures, and with the special laws applicable to the Commission such as the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act and the Public Records Act.

Responsibilities/Accountabilities

1.Vision and Leadership – The President provides leadership by developing plans and policies consistent with Board direction and carries out the plans and policies authorized by the Board.

2.Community Relations - The President ensures that the Commission maintains positive and productive relationships with Lake County growers and vintners, local nonprofit winegrape/wine industry associations, county employees, local elected officials, community partners, and other local stakeholders.

3.Administration and Management – The President develops and implements procedures and routines that facilitate the work of the Commission and assures a timely response to all communications. In consultation with the Board Chair, the President plans, prepares for, and attends all Board and committee meetings, including agenda preparation consistent with the requirements of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act to which the Commission is subject. The President is responsible for the hiring, management, and when necessary, the firing (in consultation with legal counsel) of all subordinate employees, and the retention of independent contractors when appropriate, within budgetary constraints and as necessary to fulfill the goals and strategic priorities of the Board.

4.Financial Operations – The President oversees the collection of mandatory assessments from Lake County winegrape growers, including collections. The President is responsible for ensuring that sensitive confidential information about growers and vintners is not disclosed. The President is responsible for fiscal management that operates within the Board-approved budget, ensures maximum resource utilization, and maintains the Commission in a positive financial position.

5.Grants – The President will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, preparing compelling grant proposals, managing grant calendars, and ensuring compliance and reporting for awarded grants.

6.Program Delivery – The President oversees the implementation of all Commission programs.

Desirable Qualifications

Bachelor’s and/or Master’s Degree.
Significant executive leadership as demonstrated by success in other organizational settings, preferably in the public entity sector or the nonprofit sector.
Ability to work proactively and independently, as well as part of a team.
Excellent oral, written, public speaking, and interpersonal communication skills.

Requirements

This position is generally on-site at our Kelseyville, California office, but there is potential for a hybrid arrangement.
The successful candidate must live in Northern CA/North Coast Region within a reasonable commute of Kelseyville.
This is a full-time, at-will, exempt position. Expectations are at least 40 hours per week, typically Monday–Friday during business hours. However, this position also requires some evening and weekend hours.
This position requires regional travel in a rural area, as well as occasional statewide travel, so a valid driver's license and appropriate vehicle insurance is required.
Background check.

Physical and Environmental Conditions/Requirements

This is an office position, but also a position that requires the President to visit growers and other wine industry stakeholders, and to be part of the community, so local, regional, and occasional statewide travel to events and meetings is required. This position requires the use of typical office equipment, including a computer, printer, scanner, and telephone. This position requires the ability to tolerate an environment with moderate noise levels and controlled temperature conditions, to perceive printed and electronic materials, to communicate with others in person, over the telephone, and in writing, including with staff, Board members, growers, business representatives, elected officials and county and state employees, and the general public, and to access, enter, and retrieve data from a computer and/or written materials. This position includes sedentary office work and moving between work areas as required. The position may require you to bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information, and to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 20 pounds. This position requires some evening and weekend hours.

Compensation & Benefits

Benefits for the President include:
11 paid holidays per year
15 days (120 hours) of paid vacation accrual per year
5 days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year
Benefits allowance toward health insurance
Retirement savings plan

Application Procedure & Timeline

Please respond by emailing your resume, cover letter, and two professional references with their contact information to jobs@lakecountywinegrape.org.

Applications accepted until the position is filled. However, early applications will be given priority.

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