Science + Culture + Community = Social Change

Community Wealth Building Coordinator Nkuli Shongwe recently returned from a cooperative learning trip to Puerto Rico*. Look out for upcoming blogs about her experience on the island and site visits to local cooperatives, including a hydroelectric cooperative and farming co-op. 

Adjuntas, Puerto Rico is lush and mountainous, a striking environment for our first site visit.  Casa Pueblo is a local grassroots non-profit, solar-powered community and cultural center established 39 years ago. The story of Casa Pueblo is beautiful and intricate and reveals deep roots in community engagement. Alexis Massol González, one of the Casa Pueblo’s founders, welcomed us and introduced us to the beautiful, intricate, and deeply rooted history of the organization. González’s forumula captures the essence of Casa Pueblo : science + culture + community = social change.

Casa Pueblo emerged 39 years ago in response to ecology crisis and resource extraction. When gold, silver, and copper were discovered in Adjuntas and neighboring towns Utuado, Lares, and Jayuja, the Puerto Rican government welcomed and encouraged open-pit mining in the area. With government support, mining companies from the U.S acquired 36,000 acres of land. The consequences of open-pit mining include permanent water pollution, destruction of the rainforest, and severe health, economic, and social issues. 

Deyá and González, along with other community members, worked tirelessly to educate community about the implications of open-pit mining through concerts at schools, universities, and town squares. They organized a large protest at the White House in D.C. (Casa Blanca) that resulted in some arrests, huge media coverage, and raised national awareness. Fifteen years after their coordinated organizing campaign and engagement process, they garnered support from over 10,000 people in Puerto Rico and from the mainland U.S.

Mobilizing their communities and building people power worked—Casa Pueblo was able to keep the forest space and privatize the whole forest. The forest, called Bosque Escuela la Olimpia (Olympia Forest School), is now run by Casa Pueblo and is home to many educational programs. 

In recent years, Casa Pueblo has been focusing on solar energy. After Hurricane Maria in 2017 and after the recent 2020 earthquakes, the organization provided solar energy when electricity was not available otherwise. It served as a community hub where people could come and charge their phones to connect with family, listen to the radio, and get news. In April 2020, Casa Pueblo hopes to expand the network of solar grids to local hospitals, churches, and businesses in order to build energy independence from PREPA, the island’s utility provider. Casa Pueblo is Adjunatas’ resiliency hub. This year, they will be celebrating their 40th anniversary, long history, and bright future on Earth day.

Written by Nonkululeko (Nkuli) Shongwe

*Nkuli is a first-year Masters of Human Rights student at the University of Minnesota. She participated in this trip through the Global Convergence Lab, an interdisciplinary course at the U of M that brings together students diverse backgrounds to explore the complexity of Global Resiliency issues. The lab is co-coordinated by the School of Architecture, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and the Acara Program (at the Institute on the Environment). 

 

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:  Nexus Community Partners is a community-building intermediary whose mission is to “build more engaged and powerful communities of color by supporting community-building initiatives and foster social and human capital.”

POSITION SUMMARY: We are seeking an energetic and creative individual who will provide leadership and implementation of essential finance & administration needs of the organization.  The position reports directly to the President and CEO and works closely with the leadership team and Board to provide strategic leadership and to ensure financial strength, flexibility and sustainability. The Director of Finance builds strong relationships with all staff, while promoting and modeling equity and accountability. The Director of Finance will join our dynamic and diverse staff of thoughtful, equity-driven individuals who are deeply committed to the organization’s values.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Financial Performance

• Responsible for the hands on and daily management of the accounting and financial processes within the organization.Balances the organization’s fiscal needs with available resources.
• Plan, develop, organize, implement, direct and evaluate the organization’s accounting, and financial function and performance.
• Responsible for the development and management of the organization’s budget and for communicating progress towards meeting financial objectives to all stakeholders, including the Board of Directors.
• Develops and presents accurate reports to assist in the overall financial management of the organization.
• Ensures that assets are properly controlled, resources are utilized appropriately, and activities are reported accurately and in a timely manner.
• Responsible for the development of a reliable cash flow projection process and reporting mechanism.
• Identifies opportunities for improvement, cost reduction, and systems enhancement.
• Monitors financial performance by measuring and analyzing results; initiating corrective actions; minimizing the impact of variances.Provides accurate, timely and meaningful financial analysis.
• Responsible for management of agency compliance filing and tax preparations.
• Oversite and supervision to the audit processes, ensuring favorable outcomes and continual improvement.
• Evaluate and advise on the financial impact of strategic and long-range planning, introduction of new programs/strategies and regulatory action.
• Enhance and/or develop, implement and uphold financial policies and procedures of the organization that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of the agency.
• Support program staff in financially managing their contracts, program budgets and program activities.
• Informs the President and CEO and Board of Directors of financial and operational issues on a timely basis.Identifies obstacles and risks to the financial or operational health of the agency.  Assists in developing risk mitigation strategies to address contingencies that may arise.
• Optimize the handling of bank and deposit relationships and initiate appropriate strategies to enhance cash position.
• Manages the accounting system (QuickBooks) and any processes/systems in which data is imported into or exported from this system.
• Be an advisor, from the financial perspective, on any contracts into which the organization may enter.
• Manage and complete all aspects of accounts payable and accounts receivable process.

Leadership

• Clearly articulate organizational goals for financial and programmatic stability and growth; motivate and inspire others to support the vision and enthusiastically model the values of the organization.
• Maintain strong and effective internal relationship with the Board and staff.
• Foster a culture of cooperation and mutual respect among staff; supporting programs to be effective, efficient and impactful in their work.
• Provide opportunities for staff to learn about and contribute to the budgeting process.
• Responsible for leading the finance and operations of the organization in a manner that supports and guides the organization’s mission as defined by the Board of Directors.
• Responsible for communicating effectively with the Board by providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all financial information necessary for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions.
• Provide support activities for the Board, such as participating in the Finance Committee meetings, or other Committees as requested.
• Support a respectful, inclusive work culture and environment to engage and support all employees. Act with intention to create and promote equity within the organization.

 QUALIFICATIONS:

Assets of most interest to the hiring committee include the following:

• BA in accounting or finance preferred; CPA a plus or comparable work experience
• Experience working with nonprofits in a financial leadership position is strongly preferred
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, trustworthiness, and unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission; a proactive, hands-on strategic thinker who will own the responsibility for finance and administration
• Solid experience coordinating audit activities and managing reporting, budget development and analysis, forecasting, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, and accounting for investments
• Technology savvy with advanced knowledge of accounting and reporting software, including QuickBooks for Nonprofits
• 5+ years’ experience in leadership positions, either in community, a volunteer position, or past employment.
• Keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills, which allows for strategic data interpretation vs. simple reporting
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating key data, including presentations to leadership team, board, or other outside stakeholders
• Ability and desire to translate complex financial concepts to individuals
• Capacity to work cross-culturally to achieve understanding and results. Ability to establish and maintain trust readily with a diverse set of partners
• Demonstrated understanding of culture and history as a foundation for building strategies in cultural communities
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Competent computer skills including Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint). Design skills a plus.

BENEFITS:

Nexus offers medical, dental and vision insurance with premiums paid for individuals and family members at either 90% or 80% dependent on chosen plan. In addition, we offer life, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance with premiums paid in full. Benefits also include:  Paid time off each year (earned on an accrual basis), 12 paid holidays, health club benefits, Wellness Bucks & Wellness Hours and participation in an employer matched 401k plan. Nexus also provides professional development funds to all staff.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a resume and cover letter via email subject line: Application Director of Finance. Please label each document with your first and last name and mention how you found out about the position. In addition, in your cover letter, please explain what motivates you to work with Nexus Community Partners, and how your experience, skills and commitment will advance our work to create more engaged and powerful communities of color.

Email:  Jobs@nexuscp.org

Attn: Karen Law, Director of Human Resources (An email confirmation will be sent upon receipt of your application)

Phone: 651-289-7025

The hiring committee will review resumes as they are submitted and will remove the posting once hired.

NEXUS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

For Nexus Community Partners’ 15th anniversary, Director of Community Wealth Building, Elena Gaarder, reflects on creating wealth in communities of color, working with private businesses to transition to cooperatives, and imagining abundant communities. 

Words by Nichelle Brunner • Downloadable Version

When Elena came to Nexus, there was a central question being asked: how to better create economic vitality on St. Paul’s East Side? 

“In 2013, we brought together our partners to ask this question and from these conversations grew 2 game-changing efforts- the East Side Funders Group, originally founded by  Nexus and the McKnight, McNeely, St. Paul and Northwest Area Foundations, and the East Side Economic Growth Initiative, which was a collaborative of 9 non-profit organizations and Metropolitan State University.  

While both efforts have evolved over time, their aligned work created new partnerships and  new pathways for building wealth on the East Side. This work also inspired Nexus to begin exploring models that go beyond individual asset and wealth building and traditional economic development.

As part of this exploration, Nexus began connecting with stakeholders across the country,  including The Democracy Collaborative, an organization that played a key role in developing the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, Ohio, and Oakland-based Project Equity, a group that supports businesses in transitioning from privately-owned companies to broad-based employee-ownership.

What emerged from Nexus’ travels was a deeper understanding of the importance of local and broad-based ownership models, including worker cooperatives.  “We always looked at the community as a resource and were committed to providing people with ownership opportunities. In the past, however, we were not explicitly addressing the ways in which people’s labor is commodified and how this has created the bulk of wealth in our country. We can’t shift  economic systems if we, as an organization, are not addressing the commodification of labor. 

So in 2015, Nexus adopted a community wealth building framework, which has at its core a commitment to building broad-based ownership models .The adoption of the framework also brought up more questions: how could Nexus influence a shift in traditional economic development practices ? What do regenerative economies look like? How can Nexus create a culture of ownership?

Currently, Nexus is working through all of those questions. 

In April 2019, Nexus launched the Worker Ownership Initiative, which knits together an ecosystem to support cooperative development and to support Twin Cities businesses in transitioning to employee-owned and democratically-control  workplaces. The idea is to normalize worker co-ops as tangible business model and over the next three years, convert five to seven businesses to worker-owned cooperatives.

The organization is also hosting a co-op learning events where community members come together to learn about cooperative movements and the cooperative framework. They are supporting members of the Black community in starting cooperatives through the Northstar Black Cooperative Fellowship and by providing grants to organizations like the Hmong American Farmers Association and BiiGiiWiin who are exploring cooperative ownership models.

“Even having the conversations around community wealth building has helped to elevate how  cultural communities have always worked collectively to support one another . In the end, you do not need direct services or non-profits to engage because the community has built its own wealth. Direct service work is necessary, but it’s not really getting folks out of poverty,” said Elena

When asked about the future of community wealth building and what abundant communities feel like, Elena creates an almost poetic imagery. 

“This sounds corny, but the weather is beautiful, there’s a light breeze, and you never have to be afraid. Everyone has the means to live how they want to live. Oppressive systems that cloud people’s views have been replaced by regenerative economies where things can grow.  With community wealth building, we don’t have to choose people over profit. Communities don’t have to look at things through a scarcity lens. Everyone can just breathe easy.”

 

After 15 years at Nexus, Terri Thao reflects on career, communities, and change. This profile is part of Nexus 15th Anniversary series. Look out for more pieces journaling our evolution as an organization. 

Words by: Nichelle Brunner

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The white walls are lined with vibrant photos of her children, community elders, and moments in social movements and protests, such as the Black woman being detained during the Alton Sterling protests in Baton Rouge, LA. Pinned on a corkboard is a large button that reads, “I am making St. Paul better,” and Terri is doing just that. 

For Nexus Community Partners’ 15th anniversary, I was able to have a conversation with Terri Thao, the Program Director of Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) and someone who has been with Nexus since it’s beginnings. 

In our hour long conversation, we discussed Nexus’ origin story, community advocacy and sharing power, and Terri’s plans for the next 15 years. 

The beginning: from Payne-Lake to Nexus 

For Terri’s first two years, the organization was known as Payne-Lake Community Partners. 

“So it’s 2002 and I graduate with my Master’s degree from Humphrey, and the job market is crappy. I saw a job opening at Wilder for a Program Associate with Payne-Lake Community Partners. I applied and I was the second employee to join after our executive director.” 

Payne-Lake Community Partners was created out of a national project to address the gaps between BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and White residents in four cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, and the
Twin Cities. While addressing the gaps, Payne-Lake staff realized they had to expand beyond the Payne and Lake communities. 

“This was work I had been doing all along, while growing up, but we were asked to do work that was beyond the city limits. We realized the key word in our name was community. The people in the communities are the key because we could find 19 organizations that fund housing, but those 19 organizations were not funding people and families,” she said. 

Understanding the need to support people and families outside of the Twin Cities, Payne-Lake Community Partners became Nexus Community Partners in 2010. After discussing the name change, Terri began to recount her title changes while at Nexus.

“I started as the program associate and I basically did everything the ED didn’t do,” Terri said. “It was just two people then and it was really quiet. Then in 2008, I became a program officer, where I had a portfolio of grants and initiatives. We also hired Rachel, who was an admin person, and Theresa [Gardella, Vice President of Programs and Operations]. Theresa started the week I was going on maternity leave and it was basically, ‘here’s this and this and bye’,” she said laughing. 

With the addition of more staff, that brought the total to four; however, Terri did not adjust to the changes easily. 

“Learning to grow was hard for me and I’ve had a professional evolution at Nexus. In 2011, I became the Program Director of BCLI. By then the staff size grew a little more, then it was 8, and now we’re 16 and I’m amazed at all of the growth.” 

Creating a legacy

As our conversation continued, we discussed Terri’s favorite memories and projects. When discussing her favorite memories, they many times aligned with her most memorable projects. 

Some of the organizations that Terri is proud to see grow are African Development Center (ADC), Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), and African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS). Nexus and Terri’s work was also instrumental in the growth of commercial corridor Midtown Global Market on Lake Street. 

“We were at the forefront on the work around engagement. We learned so many lessons from our Lake Street developments and support and engagement was one. We took chances and funded folks that no other funder would. Bringing folks along with me and having an impact in the communities is why I do this. We trust the people,” Terri said. 

Terri cites Nexus’ trust in community and people the reason for Nexus’ transformation. 

“I don’t see this work as just me. You need to understand power and sharing power. I always think about legacy in this work because so many people do it for a short time.”

Looking ahead: the next 15 years 

As we concluded our conversation, I asked Terri to reflect on things she’s learned over the past 15 years. She laughs before speaking. 

“I’m always learning and everything is a lesson. But I would say to listen more than you speak and do deep listening. Bring folks along with you. There’s cheesy things like do good work, but also inspire. Share your a-ha moments and share it in the context to inspire others.” 

When she reflects on the next 15 years, Terri has big plans for herself, her family, and her community. 

“I’m optimistic about the future. I want to travel. I’m hoping to still be effective but hope folks are being more real. My kids will be adults and that will be trippy, but worrisome…I don’t know, maybe I’ll write a book. I like to be challenged in my work, so I’m always thinking about the legacy I’m leaving now. I want to meet new people, eat good food, and there will probably be 49 new Marvel movies,” she said laughing. 

Terri pauses and is hesitant to say her next goal. “Is it foolish to say liberation? If you asked my ancestors, they would’ve never imagined this. We were these hillbillies in Laos. So it might be crazy to say, but we build the world we want to live in.”