Executive Director - Lynchburg Beacon of Hope

Lynchburg Beacon of Hope (LBOH) - LBOH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and dedicated to expanding fair and equitable access to education and training after high school. Our mission is to inspire Lynchburg's youth to pursue post-secondary education or training, invest in their potential, and equip them to become contributing individuals to the betterment of our community. Our vision is impacting youth for community transformation, and our values are student-centered, strengths-focused, solutions-oriented, innovative, and optimistic.

LBOH works in close partnership with Lynchburg City Schools (LCS), Central Virginia Community College, University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Liberty University, Sweet Briar College, Longwood University and Centra's College of Nursing, as well as various employers and community organizations. The organization's core programs include privately funded Future Centers embedded in LCS high schools, elementary and middle school cohort programming, last-dollar Beacon of Hope scholarships, paid summer internships and career exposure, and college persistence and completion support.

LBOH is supported by a broad base of individuals, foundations, corporate partners, and public-private grant partnerships.

Since its founding, LBOH has served thousands of students, awarded scholarships to more than 740 LCS students, and helped increase the share of graduating seniors with a post-secondary plan. The Future Centers model has drawn regional and national interest and has begun expanding beyond Lynchburg, positioning the organization for its next phase of scale and influence.

Lynchburg's leading nonprofit for post-secondary educational and workforce access is seeking a dynamic, visionary Executive Director (ED) to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth and community impact. This is a unique opportunity to champion the futures of Lynchburg's young people while ensuring the financial and operational sustainability of LBOH's mission-driven work. The Executive Director will be a visible and active community leader, advancing college and career readiness, workforce development, and public engagement throughout the Lynchburg region and beyond, as LBOH launches its FY27–FY31 strategic plan.

Reporting to and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is the organization's chief executive officer, leading all programs and operations, supervising staff, and ensuring the financial well-being of an active and thriving nonprofit. The ED is responsible for leading and executing LBOH's FY27–FY31 strategic plan, fostering collaborative relationships, and ensuring mission fulfillment through effective fundraising, advocacy, public engagement, and organizational stewardship.

This position requires a proactive and entrepreneurial leader who is comfortable working in a highly collaborative, community-facing role.

The strategic plan sets four priorities that will frame the next Executive Director's work:

• Advancing career readiness and workforce development, including scaling paid summer internships and strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) and employer partnerships.
• Strengthening college access, persistence, and completion including middle school cohorts, summer bridge programming, scholarship access, and the alumni network.
• Continuing financial sustainability and organizational strength, including building the scholarship endowment, diversifying operating revenue, and strengthening staff, data, and board capacity.
• Scaling impact beyond Lynchburg through a replication framework, playbooks and consulting support for partner communities, and…