A Day In The Life Of An Executive Director At Central Coast State Parks Association
A typical day for Sierra, Executive Director at Central Coast State Parks Association, involves a mix of "deep focus and deep work," such as writing press releases and planning fundraising campaigns, alongside managing communications, interns, and the organization's finances, all while "managing the board" and preparing for the annual fundraiser—a constant cycle of tasks requiring strong organizational skills. The position's public-facing nature necessitates constant engagement with stakeholders, ensuring a positive association to achieve their mission of connecting people with state parks.
Executive/Leadership, Communication, Fundraising, Project Management, Nonprofit Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sierra Emrick
Executive Director
Central Coast State Parks Association
UCSB
No
Environmental & Related Sciences
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Working in a nonprofit environment offers flexibility and the ability to manage one's schedule, although this may vary depending on the organization.
2. A significant portion of the job involves communication, including responding to public inquiries, crafting press releases, and collaborating with partners to share information effectively.
3. Fundraising is a crucial aspect of the role, requiring year-round planning and execution of campaigns to ensure financial stability for the organization.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an executive director look like?
I arrive at nine and work nine to five. Normally, there's a little bit of flexibility because I don't have to be out running a program, which I really love. I just got a puppy, so it's nice to be able to come in a little late.
Not every nonprofit is like that, but I come in and usually check emails and phone calls to make sure I'm up to date on everything. I'll scan all their social media to ensure no one is asking questions, or if they are, I'll respond to them.
We're very public-facing, so we always want people to have a good association with us. That way, we're achieving our mission of helping people get information, but also they like us and are willing to donate and support, or volunteer and engage.
Then, I'll usually dive into my deep focus and deep work. That can be anything from writing a press release to starting a new fundraising campaign or working on our year-end ask. It might also involve reaching out to one of our state park partners to understand a new program and how we can communicate it.
I have a normal lunch break and try to sit outside in the sun, as a lot of what I do is inside. Then I finish up the day with more communication, whatever needs to get done. We have interns who need a lot of management and have amazing ideas, so we're working with them.
It's also a lot of running the business. This includes delegating tasks, making sure the nonprofit's finances are in good shape, and managing the board, which is a huge part of the nonprofit world.
Communicating with the board is important. Nonprofits usually have a large fundraiser at least once a year, and you're pretty much working on that fundraiser year-round until the day it happens, and then you start preparing for the next one.
As you can see, you do so many things, so your day will move all over the place, and you just have to be really good at staying organized. My normal day is just working through a checklist of things I need to do.