Executive Director

CASDA at a glance

Location: Superior, Wisconsin (serving Douglas, Ashland, and Bayfield counties)

Role: Executive Director, full time

Salary range: 80,000 to 90,000, based on scope and experience

Reports to: Board of Directors

A pivotal moment for CASDA

CASDA’s next Executive Director will lead lifesaving services across Northwest Wisconsin with care, clarity, and operational strength, ensuring safety and advocacy remain accessible when people need them most. This leader will strengthen sustainability through fundraising, grants, and community visibility, while also supporting and stabilizing a mission critical team by improving systems, accountability, and measurable impact.

CASDA is a mission driven nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse across a large, rural region where distance, limited resources, and isolation can make help harder to reach. With a trusted footprint and a deep commitment to safety, dignity, and survivor choice, CASDA provides survivor centered, trauma informed services that meet people in crisis and walk alongside them toward stability and healing.

This role is for a leader who can hold both compassion and operational discipline at the same time. You will steward a mission critical team, strengthen the infrastructure that enables staff to thrive, and deepen financial sustainability through fundraising, grants, and community visibility. In partnership with the Board, staff leaders, community agencies, and donors, you will protect what makes CASDA distinctive while building the capacity and resilience needed for the next chapter of impact.

Mission and impact

To promote safety, empowerment, and freedom from sexual assault and domestic abuse through education, intervention, and social change.

• Public Education Program: 6,356 attendees reached through 63 community presentations plus additional media reach
• Shelter Program: 5,137 days of safe shelter provided to 115 adults and 59 children, average stay 34 days, 10,274 meals and 5,137 snacks served
• Immediate Response Program: 100 referrals from law enforcement, with consent, for advocacy outreach and supportive services
• Domestic Abuse Program: 75 individuals received supportive services
• Outreach Program: 29 individuals received direct services in Ashland and Bayfield counties
• Children's Program: 27 children served, plus 5 non offending parents supported
• Legal Program: 69 individuals received direct services, and 55 received legal representation or advice, including restraining order assistance
• Sexual Assault Program: 24 survivors received supportive services, and 9 received in person hospital advocacy
• Community Engagement Program: 18 individuals supported with volunteer opportunities
• Support and Education Groups: 51 survivors participated

You will be well positioned if you are energized by:

• Leading a high trust, trauma informed organization that centers survivor safety and autonomy
• Balancing urgent service delivery with strategic planning, stable finances, and clear decision making
• Building and supporting a capable team across shelter, advocacy, prevention education, and community partnerships
• Serving as a visible ambassador who can strengthen partnerships and resource development in a rural region
• Deepen community partnerships with county and city stakeholders, law enforcement, schools, healthcare systems, and funders
• Ensure safe, compliant, and high quality service delivery across shelter, advocacy, legal, outreach, and education programs
• Represent CASDA with credibility and warmth, building trust across survivors, staff, partners, and the broader community

Team and governance

CASDA’s Executive Director partners closely with a volunteer Board of Directors and leads a mission focused staff team.

Board of Directors: 5 members with the following standing committees:

• Executive and finance committees
• Ad hoc event and fundraising committees

Staffing mix:

• Staff team: 12 full-time roles and 4 part-time or variable-hour roles, including overnight and fill in advocates
• Budgeted roles: Approximately 18 positions across shelter, advocacy, prevention education, legal services, outreach, and administration

Direct reports to the Executive Director include:

• Director of Program Services
• Community Engagement Coordinator
• Attorney

The Director of Program Services leads a program team that includes:

• Domestic Abuse Program Coordinator
• Sexual Assault Program Coordinator
• Triage Advocate
• Shelter Program Coordinator
• House Manager
• Overnight Advocate
• Shelter Fill In Advocates
• Crisis Response Advocates (2)
• Children's Program Coordinator
• Ashland and Bayfield County Outreach Coordinator
• Housing First Coordinator

What success looks like

In the first 60 to 90 days

• Build credibility and trust with staff, board leadership, and key partners. Complete a clear assessment of current programs, capacity, and risk. Align on immediate priorities and stabilize the highest risk operational needs.

In 6 months

• Establish a focused set of annual outcomes and a practical execution plan. Improve decision clarity and operational reliability so delivery is consistent and responsive. Provide the board with clear visibility into performance, risk, and financial outlook. Launch a realistic sustainability plan tied to capacity.

In 12 to 18 months

• Demonstrate measurable progress on priority outcomes. Strengthen organizational resilience through talent stability, reliable systems, and diversified revenue. Improve the consistency of the survivor experience across programs. Position CASDA for long term impact in a rural region with complex access needs.

What you will lead and deliver

The Board of Directors is seeking an Executive Director who can deliver strong leadership in the following areas, balancing compassion with operational discipline to strengthen CASDA’s impact and sustainability.

• Survivor centered, trauma informed leadership: You will protect and advance CASDA’s survivor centered model across every decision, policy, and interaction. You will ensure services reflect survivor choice, dignity, and safety, and that staff have the tools, training, and support to deliver trauma informed care consistently across the region. Core competency: Trauma informed, survivor centered leadership.
• Program quality, safety, and service delivery: You will ensure CASDA delivers reliable, high quality services across a large rural footprint, with clear standards, strong supervision, and consistent practice. You will strengthen safety protocols, manage risk with discipline, and ensure survivors can access support quickly, confidently, and without unnecessary barriers. Core competency: Service delivery leadership, quality assurance, and risk management.
• People leadership and culture building: You will stabilize and strengthen a mission critical team through clear expectations, coaching, and follow through. You will build a culture that is grounded in trust and accountability, supports wellbeing and retention, and creates the conditions for staff to perform at a high level in demanding work. Core competency: Team leadership, culture building, and performance management.
• Financial stewardship and sustainability: You will lead with strong financial discipline, ensuring budgets, forecasting, and financial controls protect services and support long term stability. You will provide clear, timely visibility into financial health, tradeoffs, and emerging risks so the board and leadership team can make sound decisions. Core competency: Financial leadership, forecasting, and strategic resource management.
• Revenue strategy and fundraising leadership: You will strengthen CASDA’s revenue foundation by improving development systems and advancing a practical sustainability plan. You will partner with the board to deepen fundraising capacity, strengthen funder relationships, and expand diversified revenue in a way that matches CASDA’s mission and operating reality. Core competency: Revenue strategy, fundraising leadership, and grant stewardship.
• Community credibility and partnership building: You will serve as a trusted, visible leader for CASDA across Northwest Wisconsin. You will strengthen relationships with community partners, public agencies, and referral networks to improve coordination, increase visibility, and expand access to survivor support and prevention efforts. Core competency: External relations, partnership development, and community leadership.
• Communication and crisis leadership: You will communicate with steadiness and clarity during sensitive situations, high stakes moments, and organizational change. You will set a consistent tone, provide timely updates, and make sound decisions that build trust internally and externally while protecting confidentiality and survivor safety. Core competency: Clear communication, sound judgment, and crisis leadership.
• Board partnership and governance effectiveness: You will build a strong working partnership with the Board grounded in transparency, shared accountability, and forward looking planning. You will support effective governance by bringing clear recommendations, reporting progress and risks, and ensuring the board has the information needed to lead well. Core competency: Board partnership and governance aligned leadership.

Financial snapshot

To provide candidates with a transparent sense of organizational scale and budget context, CASDA’s financials are summarized below.

Fiscal year results

• 2022 actual: Total income $1,379,380; total expenses $1,456,294; net -$103,545
• 2023 actual: Total income $1,551,163; total expenses $1,530,321; net $22,876
• 2024 actual: Total income $1,503,483; total expenses $1,533,452; net $51,462
• 2026 budget: Total income $1,387,982; total expenses $1,479,053; net -$91,071

2026 revenue mix

• Government grants: $1,134,982 (82%)
• Foundation grants: $0 (0%)
• Contributions: $0 (0%)
• Earned income: $10,000 (1%)
• Investments: $5,000 (0%)
• Fundraising income: $69,000 (5%)

Strategic priorities

• Ensure equitable access to survivor centered, trauma informed services across a large rural region, reducing barriers created by distance, transportation, limited resources, and isolation.
• Strengthen service continuity and referral pathways across the Twin Ports region, leveraging proximity to Duluth for specialized support while maintaining CASDA’s local trust and presence.
• Expand community visibility, prevention, and education efforts to increase awareness, strengthen safety, and promote earlier intervention across Northwest Wisconsin.
• Build long term organizational resilience through stronger infrastructure, sustainable staffing, and reliable systems that support consistent service delivery, confidentiality, and safety

Key stakeholders

The Executive Director will steward relationships across a broad stakeholder ecosystem, especially in a rural region where partnership and trust are essential.

• Donors, foundations, civic leaders, and community groups invested in CASDA’s mission
• County agencies, housing partners, and community based organizations supporting safety and stability
• Schools, universities, and youth serving organizations advancing prevention education
• Hospitals and health systems supporting sexual assault response and referrals
• Law enforcement, courts, district attorneys, and victim services partners
• CASDA staff and volunteers delivering shelter, advocacy, and prevention services
• Survivors and families across Douglas, Bayfield, and Ashland counties

About the community

CASDA serves survivors and families across Northwest Wisconsin. Superior sits on the western edge of Lake Superior, connected to Duluth, Minnesota, and the Twin Ports region. Many leaders are drawn to the area for its access to outdoor recreation, a close-knit community feel, and a strong network of civic and social-service partners. Amenities include:

• Lake Superior shoreline and parks, including Wisconsin Point and regional trails
• Arts, food, and culture across Superior and Duluth, with year-round events and festivals
• Access to regional higher education, including University of Wisconsin-Superior and nearby institutions in Duluth
• Regional healthcare access across the Twin Ports, with major medical centers and specialty care in Duluth

Resource links

Explore the resources below to get to know CASDA and the region.

• CASDA: https://casda.org
• City of Superior: https://www.ci.superior.wi.us/
• Visit Superior and Douglas County: https://visitsuperior.com/
• Superior Douglas County Chamber of Commerce: https://www.superiorchamber.org/
• Visit Duluth: https://www.visitduluth.com/
• University of Wisconsin Superior: https://www.uwsuper.edu/
• Duluth International Airport: https://duluthairport.com/
• Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center, Duluth: https://www.essentiahealth.org/find-facility/profile/st-marys-medical-center/
• Aspirus St Luke's Clinic, Superior: https://www.slhduluth.com/locations/aspirus-st-lukes-clinic-superior/

How to apply

To apply, please submit the following materials.

• Resume or CV
• A brief cover note that speaks to your interest in CASDA and the impact you want to help deliver in the first 12 to 18 months

CASDA is committed to equitable hiring. We welcome candidates who bring a range of lived and professional experiences, including transferable leadership from adjacent sectors.

Thank you for your interest in CASDA and for considering this mission critical leadership opportunity.

• Health insurance for eligible full-time employees, CASDA covers 75% of the premium
• Vision coverage, CASDA covers 100% of the premium
• Dental coverage available, employee paid
• Life insurance equal to annual salary after 90 days of employment
• Paid holidays, CASDA recognizes 10 paid holidays each year
• Personal days, 4 per year for full time employees and 1 per year for part time employees, after 90 days
• Vacation, accrues after 90 days, 10 days for 0 to 2 years, 15 days for 3 to 4 years, 20 days for 5 or more years
• Sick time, 1 day accrued per month after 90 days, up to 80 days maximum accrual
• Self care days, 4 per year
• Retirement, IRA eligibility after two years, with CASDA contribution up to 3 %of annual salary, discretionary