Executive Director - Atlanta Region

Overview.Extra Special People, Inc. (esp) is a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, changing communities for the better. The esp team is unrelenting in their mission. They are champions of people of all abilities, the tireless advocates, the activators, and the believers-in-potential. Team members are cheerleaders, celebrators, innovators, and connectors for all. esp now has Georgia campuses in Athens, Atlanta, and Rome. Work is underway to raise funds for an esp Savannah as well. Each campus will have an Executive Director position.

esp’s History.In 1986, Martha Wyllie, esp’s founder, held the first camp for people with developmental disabilities. She noticed an unequal number of opportunities for children with disabilities, beginning esp as one week of summer camp for 21 participants. Programs took place in local schools, churches, jails, and community gathering spaces while Martha looked for a place for esp to call home. Five years later, esp opened its own building on VFW Drive in Watkinsville, Georgia and started serving participants. For two decades, esp conducted all programming in the 1,600 square foot gym, with the number of participants growing each year. Martha passed away in 2004, leaving behind a growing legacy and four post-it-notes.

The following year, Laura Hope Whitaker, a college volunteer, officially assumed the role of Executive Director. In the years ahead, the esp Leadership Team identified the need for wrap-around support including family support and year-round programming and created esp 360. In 2014, esp was gifted a 70-acre camp property in Jackson County, Georgia with a vision for it to become the country’s first universally accessible overnight camp, parent respite center, and recreation facility.

In June of 2016, after a $3 million capital campaign, esp opened the doors to a new 14,000 square-foot Activity Building and renovated the original gym. As a result of two new spaces, esp enrollment grew 25% immediately, allowing the organization to serve the hundreds of participants who now call esp home. The same year, esp expanded programs through the launch of Java Joy, a mobile coffee cart that employs adults with disabilities.

esp, through Java Joy, started its expansion in 2020 to Atlanta and Rome, Georgia with their very first program. And in 2022, esp opened the Miracle League Complex in Watkinsville, an extension of the National Miracle League nonprofit. The complex includes a universally accessible baseball field and the City of Watkinsville’s Playground of Possibilities, encouraging people of all abilities to play side by side with no limitations. esp’s volunteers and Leadership Team have developed a 10-year that strategic plan that envisions esp being a nationally recognized leader in transforming communities in multiple states through programs for people with all abilities.

Position Summary.The esp Atlanta Executive Director will oversee the strategic and operational implementation of the organization’s programs, operations, and fundraising for the Atlanta site specifically. The professional will be heavily involved in the development of esp presence in the region and a key member of the fundraising team. The Executive Director will be responsible for selecting and building a team for the Atlanta campus. The leader will manage full-time staff directly and hold the entire team accountable for the completion of their annual goals. The Executive Director is responsible for the development and execution of transformative experiences for participants and their families; staff, volunteers, and interns; donors and community partners; and the greater esp community. The Executive Director is a representation of esp’s core values and mission, ensuring the site fulfills the greater objectives of the organization as a whole.

The Ideal Candidate.The ideal candidate for the Executive Director’s position is a professional who is prepared to become engaged in the lives of the participants and their families. The individual must have the energy and drive to love and celebrate the abilities of the participants as well as lead esp Atlanta in terms of networking, strategy, development, growth of team members, and its inspirational mission. The professional should also have experience in fundraising and developing community partnerships. The Executive Director must have excellent communication skills in the areas of listening, speaking to groups of all sizes, and writing. This will include traveling the Atlanta region for Java Joy events and building relationships. The professional must become active in the esp programs while at the same time develop a trust between the organization, participants, parents, donors, and the community.

Experience / Education Levels Desired.§ Minimum of a high school diploma from an accredited school. A technical college or higher education diploma is desired.§ Candidates should have at least two years of experience in office management and bookkeeping.§ Eligible to obtain a valid State of Georgia driver’s license within the first 90 days of employment.