Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Poised for transformational change, the Geological Society of America (GSA) is seeking an Executive Director and CEO who will lead adaptive approaches to meet the evolving needs of members and the geoscience community and carefully prioritize programs and services in order to enlarge the current ecosystem and be sustainable well into the future. The landscape for scientific societies is changing at an increasing rate, and GSA is committed to providing inspirational leadership that will steward and enhance the place of geosciences in the world as it confronts an array of challenges.

The Geological Society of America is a global professional society with a membership of more than 19,000 individuals in more than 100 countries. GSA provides access to elements that are essential to the professional growth of earth scientists at all levels of expertise and from all sectors: academic, government, business, and industry. The Society unites thousands of earth scientists from every corner of the globe that have a common purpose to study the mysteries of our planet (and beyond) and share scientific findings. GSA is supported, in part, by funds donated to and raised by the GSA Foundation.

The Executive Director and CEO will lead GSA to increasing impact, membership growth and will serve as the principal spokesperson for the globally engaged and esteemed Society. The role and its responsibilities are complex, which will be attractive to talented candidates seeking to lead a mission-centered organization with a compelling and far-reaching charge and a devoted membership, staff, and partners.

Key opportunities for the next Executive Director and CEO include advancing the visibility of geoscience; providing organizational leadership; supporting policy and professional practice advocacy; promoting a culture that views diversity and inclusion as imperatives for organizational success; and crafting strategic plans and partnerships that do good and well.  There are ways and times when the Executive Committee and Councilors will provide leadership and other arenas and times when the Executive Director will be inspiring and propelling the Executive Committee and Councilors to move the Society forward.  Similarly, a close working relationship between the Executive Directors of GSA and the GSA Foundation is imperative.

In addition to oversight of the Society’s activities and operations, including budgeting and financial affairs, the Executive Director manages the 51 staff who span multiple locations including the Boulder office and the smaller Washington, D.C. office. As a point of reference, the 2021 annual report provides a snapshot of GSA’s activities over the past year.

To learn more, access the long-format position profile here. For best consideration, please send all nominations and expressions of interest to:

Jim Sirianni, Managing Director

Sara Swisher-Anderson, Senior Associate

GSAExecDir@storbecksearch.com

The Geological Society of America Policy on Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action for All Employees and Applicants