Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center; Detroit Lakes (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

401(k) matching

Employee discount

Paid training

Other

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center seeks an Interim Chief Executive Officer to provide steady, visible leadership during organizational transition. You will work closely with the Board to maintain stability, support staff, and sustain essential programs and community relationships.

The role focuses on guiding the organization through the interim period, with transition planning and knowledge transfer to prepare for permanent executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in nonprofit/arts or similar complex orgs.
• Proven ability to lead through transition and maintain stability.
• Strong financial and operational acumen with budgeting and reporting experience.
• Experience working with a Board of Directors and governance vs. management.
• Excellent relationship-building with stakeholders, donors, and partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide steady executive leadership and maintain continuity of programs, services, facilities, and commitments.
• Direct leadership team with clear priorities, decision-making pathways, and accountability.
• Serve as primary staff liaison to the Board with timely updates on operations, finances, staffing, risks, and matters.
• Oversee financial performance, budgeting, cash flow, reporting, controls, audits, and resource allocation with Finance.
• Identify and address immediate operational and compliance concerns and communicate risks to the Board.
• Assess organizational structure and reporting relationships; provide recommendations.
• Clarify roles and decision authority during the interim period.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee relations, performance, and development.
• Maintain relationships with city officials, donors, sponsors, partners, and community leaders.
• Support fundraising, donor stewardship, sponsorship, and capital campaigns in partnership with staff and Board.
• Assist with transition planning and knowledge transfer for permanent leadership.

Job description

Position Summary

The Interim Chief Executive Officer (Interim CEO) will

provide steady, visible leadership to DLCCC during a period of organizational

transition. Working closely with the Board of Directors and leadership team,

the Interim CEO will maintain organizational stability, support employees,

ensure continuity of key operations and financial priorities, and sustain

important community and stakeholder relationships.

This is a transitional leadership role. The Interim CEO will

help the Board assess organizational needs, clarify roles and accountability,

and prepare DLCCC for permanent executive leadership. The Interim CEO is not

expected to independently establish the organization's long-term structure or

strategic direction; significant long-term changes will be made in

collaboration with and subject to approval by the Board.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide consistent, visible executive leadership and maintain continuity of essential programs, services, facilities, and organizational commitments.
• Support and provide direction to the leadership team, establishing clear priorities, expectations, decision-making pathways, and accountability.
• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Board and provide timely, transparent updates regarding operations, finances, staffing, risks, and significant organizational matters.
• Maintain executive oversight of financial performance, budgeting, cash flow, reporting, internal controls, audits, and resource allocation in partnership with the Director of Finance and Board.
• Identify and address immediate operational, staffing, facility, safety, contractual, or compliance concerns and promptly communicate material risks to the Board.
• Work with the Board to assess the current organizational structure, leadership responsibilities, reporting relationships, workload, and operational needs; provide objective observations and recommendations.
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and decision authority as needed during the interim period, while distinguishing short-term stabilization needs from long-term structural decisions.
• Partner with the Human Resources on employee relations, performance management, organizational development, policy, and other employment matters as appropriate.
• Maintain important relationships with the City of Detroit Lakes, donors, sponsors, community partners, members, patrons, government representatives, and other key stakeholders.
• Support continuity of fundraising, donor stewardship, sponsorship, capital campaign, and community-engagement efforts in partnership with staff and the Board.
• Assist with transition planning and knowledge transfer when permanent executive leadership is selected.

Interim Priorities & Measures of Success

• Organizational stability and continuity of essential programs, services, and operations.
• Clear, consistent communication between the Board, leadership team, employees, and key stakeholders.
• Improved clarity regarding roles, reporting relationships, decision authority, and accountability.
• Key financial, operational, staffing, facility, and community priorities remain actively managed and communicated.
• The Board receives objective information and recommendations to support decisions regarding future organizational structure and permanent executive leadership.
• An organized transition and knowledge transfer are completed for incoming permanent leadership.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience, preferably within a nonprofit, community-based, membership, recreation, arts and culture, hospitality, public-private, or similarly complex organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through transition, organizational change, or periods requiring stability and clarity.
• Strong financial and operational acumen, including experience with budgets, financial reporting, resource allocation, and organizational risk.
• Experience working effectively with a Board of Directors and understanding the distinction between governance and management responsibilities.
• Proven ability to build trust, communicate transparently, make sound decisions, and lead through others.
• Strong relationship-building skills with employees, community leaders, donors, government officials, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Experience with fundraising, donor relations, community engagement, or revenue development is preferred.
• Commitment to DLCCC's mission and to arts, culture, recreation, wellness, and community enrichment.

Interim Appointment

This is a temporary executive appointment intended to

provide leadership and continuity while the Board evaluates DLCCC's future

organizational structure and conducts the process for permanent executive

leadership. The duration of the appointment, compensation, benefits, and other

terms will be established by the Board and communicated as part of the

selection process.

Reporting Structure

The Interim CEO reports directly to the Board of Directors

and provides executive leadership and oversight consistent with the

organizational structure in place during the interim period. Significant or

permanent changes to organizational structure, executive reporting

relationships, or long-term staffing strategy are subject to Board approval.

Work schedule

• 8 hour shift

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount
• Paid training
• Other
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance