Executive Director, Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition

Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition (MFFC) invites a visionary, community-rooted, relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director (ED) and guide the organization into its third decade of service to Mattapan.

For 20 years, MFFC has worked to make Mattapan a healthier place to live, grow up, and grow older. What began with a group of residents and a farmers market with one tent is now a professionally staffed organization making impacts in food access, active living, youth development, and advocacy. When hospitals, city agencies, and funders talk about Mattapan, MFFC is often the first organization they name.

The next ED will inherit a strong foundation: a trusted reputation, impactful programs, a highly effective staff, a committed board consisting of long-tenured and newly-recruited members, loyal community partners, a stable financial position, and the accounting, human resources, and legal support that comes with being a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE. The work ahead is to build on what works while imagining what comes next: using equity as a guiding principal, setting a long-term vision, diversifying funding, growing a strong Advisory Board, investing in staff, and finding new ways to serve the community, with community voice at the center of every decision.

ORGANIZATION

MFFC was founded in 2006 by Mattapan residents concerned about high rates of diabetes, hypertension, and other diet-related illness in their neighborhood, and about how few places there were to buy fresh food or be active. From the start, MFFC was built on the belief that the community knows what it needs. Its first programs came straight out of resident focus groups and conversations, and programs still start with what residents say.

Food access and nutrition programs increase the accessibility of healthy and affordable produce and food.  The Mattapan Square Farmers Market, now in its 20th year, runs every Saturday in season and brings fresh produce, local vendors, and community resources to the center of the neighborhood. The food access team also helps residents use SNAP and HIP benefits, runs a youth-staffed farm stand at the Mattapan Community Health Center, and works to close the gap in the months when the market is closed.

Through its physical activity programs, MFFC offers local opportunities for free walks, hikes, bike rides, fitness classes, and fitness challenges, along with signature events like Mattapan on Wheels, which draws riders from across the region and teaches residents how to ride.

Vigorous Youth, MFFC’s youth development program, supports MFFC’s mission through food access programming, bike education and advocacy, and professional and personal development workshops.  Participants enjoy leadership and volunteer opportunities that build their skills as community leaders, putting them in the room at town halls, planning meetings, and partner events. Many alumni stay connected, and some have joined the staff, including MFFC’s current Executive Director.

MFFC also works to improve the built environment, advocating for parks, trails, gardens, and waterfront spaces that make it easier for residents to be active, eat well, and connect with each other. Past wins include helping complete the Neponset River Greenway Trail.

Through its community empowerment work, MFFC puts residents in leadership roles, partners with neighborhood associations, and connects people with help when they face a challenge. Community meetings, community gardens, and volunteer opportunities give residents the tools to advocate for their neighborhood and make them partners in the work.   

MFFC's programs are free and paired with advocacy for lasting change. It is one of the few organizations in Boston working on food and health at both the policy level and the program level, including the federally funded REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission and membership in coalitions such as Transportation for Massachusetts. MFFC responds quickly when community needs shift, and its staff are a familiar presence across the neighborhood, not only at MFFC events.

With an annual operating budget of $1M, MFFC maintains a stable financial position. An Advisory Board of nine members, several of whom helped build MFFC as volunteers, brings deep commitment and expertise in public health, nutrition, environmental justice, and the community itself.

MFFC is based in Mattapan Square and is a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides MFFC with professional accounting, human resources, and legal support. MFFC remains responsible for raising its own funds and running its own programs and operations.

THE ROLE

The next Executive Director will succeed Shavel’le Olivier, MFFC’s first ED who has led the organization for seven years, building much of the foundation MFFC runs on today. Working closely with the Advisory Board and a dedicated staff, including an Associate Director who manages day-to-day operations, the ED will lead MFFC’s strategy, fundraising, partnerships, and programs. With TSNE’s support services, the ED can concentrate on leadership rather than back-office administration. The ED also serves as MFFC’s public face, building relationships with residents, partners, funders, and policymakers, and ensuring MFFC has a seat at the tables where decisions about health, food, and transportation are made. Priorities for the next ED include both immediate and long-range objectives that strengthen MFFC’s growth and sustainability.

PRIORITIES

These priorities are connected and will move forward together. The next ED will need to balance them, adjust as needs shift, and pivot when the community requires it.

Listening, Learning, and Building Trust

The ED must begin by listening. Much of MFFC’s strength comes from relationships built over two decades, and those relationships have to be earned again by a new leader. The ED will spend the first months getting to know staff, the Advisory Board, residents, partners, and funders, working alongside the team at programs, and understanding what is already working before changing it.

Fundraising and Sustainability

While MFFC is financially stable, it relies heavily on restricted grants, and the funding landscape is shifting. The next ED will build and sustain relationships with current funders, carry forward a developing fundraising roadmap, and grow unrestricted support, individual giving, and partnerships. Sustaining free, community-centered programs will require a steady and diversified revenue base, and a clear long-term vision will give MFFC a compelling story to share with funders.

Advisory Board Partnership and Development

MFFC’s Advisory Board is evolving from a hands-on volunteer leadership team into a board focused on governance, strategy, and fundraising. The next ED will partner with board leadership to guide that shift by clarifying roles and expectations, setting shared goals, and building two-way accountability. With board terms turning over in spring 2027, the next ED will have a rare opportunity to help shape the board they will work with, recruiting new members who bring strength in fundraising, governance, finance, and networks, while drawing on the institutional knowledge of longtime members. The ED will also strengthen the connection between board and staff through in-person meetings and shared events.

Staff Culture, Investment, and Development

MFFC's highly effective staff are its greatest asset. The ED will bolster a supportive and human-centric workplace culture, will work with the board on a long-term plan for more competitive compensation as resources grow, and will strengthen professional development and planning so staff have clear goals and growth opportunities. This work should build technical skills alongside the confidence and ownership staff already bring, while protecting a culture of trust, autonomy, and mutual support.

Systems, Documentation, and Impact

Much of the groundwork for strong internal systems is already in place, including an executive transition manual. The ED will build on this foundation, working with the Associate Director to keep documenting how the work gets done so that knowledge outlasts any one person. This includes developing consistent ways to measure, evaluate, and share MFFC's impact with the community, funders, and partners.

Strategic Planning and Vision

A priority for MFFC’s next ED will be to lead organizational visioning and the next strategic planning process. The ED will help the board and staff look past the next grant cycle and set a clear direction for the next five to ten years, informed by changes in the funding and policy landscape, including where to expand current programs, where to seed new ones, and what staffing and capacity that growth will require.

Partnerships, Advocacy, and Visibility

The ED will nurture current and cultivate new relationships with community leaders, city and state government agencies, elected officials, and national coalitions where MFFC can shape policy and bring resources back to Mattapan. The ED will tell MFFC’s story with authenticity, using both data and the voices of residents and youth.

Community Engagement and Membership

Before the pandemic, monthly community convenings were a core part of how MFFC listened to and organized with residents, and there is strong interest in bringing them back. The ED will move this work forward, and help shape a community membership model rooted in MFFC’s founding, so that it deepens resident leadership and is sustainable for the organization.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Advisory Board, the Executive Director provides overall leadership, strategic direction, and organizational management to ensure that MFFC fulfills its mission: building intergenerational leadership within Mattapan's Black and Brown community to advocate for equitable access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as the public face and chief ambassador of MFFC with residents, partners, funders, elected officials, and the broader public health community.
• Keep community voice at the center of program and organizational decisions, and know when to step back so youth and residents can lead.
• Lead overall fundraising in partnership with the Development and Communications Coordinator, grant writer, consultants, and Advisory Board; cultivate foundations, government agencies, health systems, corporate partners, and individual donors.
• Understand how the budget fits together in support of the mission, manage it in partnership with TSNE’s finance team, and explain the numbers clearly so decisions are grounded in what the organization can sustain.
• Ensure the continued quality and impact of current programs while fostering innovation to meet evolving community needs.

Staff Leadership

• Provide leadership and direct supervision of the Associate Director and Development Communications Coordinator.
• Partner with the Associate Director on operations, office management, and internal systems, and work with TSNE on accounting, human resources, and legal matters.
• Support and develop an intergenerational team through delegation, coaching, professional development, and clear goals and accountability.
• Foster a workplace where staff feel trusted, informed, and empowered, and be willing to roll up your sleeves when a program needs help.
• Lead with steadiness through crises and communicate openly with staff about funding and changes that affect their work.

Advisory Board Partnership

• Work with the Advisory Board to plan meetings, set agendas, and communications.
• Lead staff and day-to-day operations, allowing the board to focus on governance and strategy.
• Partner with the board on recruitment, onboarding, and development, including a committee structure that optimizes members’ skills and networks.
• Engage the board in strategic planning, fundraising, partnership building, and representing MFFC in the community.
• Develop working relationships between the board and staff through in-person meetings, events, and shared planning, building shared understanding, transparency, and mutual respect.

Many folks who are impacted by biased professionalism standards, such as women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and individuals with disabilities, tend to only submit an application if they meet every requirement listed. At MFFC, we are always looking for enthusiastic candidates who are the best fit for the role, both culturally and through experience. If you believe you’d be a good addition to the team, we look forward to your application!

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Significant leadership experience, typically five or more years, in a nonprofit, public health, or community-based organization, including supervising staff, managing budgets, and working with a board. Experience in food access, public health, youth development, or community organizing is ideal.
• Knowledge of nonprofit governance and board development.
• Strong organizational leadership: the ability to see the whole picture across programs, finance, people, and partnerships, set a clear direction, and keep a team moving toward it.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with varied audiences, including residents, youth, staff, board members, funders, elected officials, and other nonprofit leaders, through storytelling, public speaking, and authentic listening.
• Understanding of fundraising principals and the ability to serve as an effective fundraiser including resource identification, authentic storytelling, relationship building.
• Boston-area relationships with funders, nonprofit leaders, government, and community organizations, or the ability to build them quickly.
• Strategic financial judgment: understands how the budget fits together in support of the mission, well enough to make sustainable decisions, plan for growth, and explain the financial picture clearly to the Advisory Board and staff.
• Experience leading or contributing to a strategic planning process and turning vision into concrete, measurable goals with board and staff.
• Experience building partnerships and coalitions beyond one’s own organization, including with government, health systems, and community groups.
• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Public Health or equivalent work experience is desired.
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PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Deep commitment to health equity, food justice, and the power of community-led change.
• Relational, approachable, and humble; treats people as people first.
• Curious and a good listener who observes and learns before acting.
• Balances empathy with accountability; empowers rather than micromanages; holds clear standards.
• Steady in a crisis and able to hold a team together when the community is hurting.
• Able to balance competing priorities, adapt quickly, and pivot when community needs change.
• Patient and understanding, while holding firm when it matters.
• A grounded visionary who honors what already works, sees where the organization can grow, asks hard questions about why and how the work gets done, and creates buy-in to bring people along.
• Genuinely aligned with MFFC’s values, with the energy and joy this work calls for.
• Lived or deep experience in communities like Mattapan is highly preferred: predominantly Black, home to large Haitian and Caribbean immigrant populations, multigenerational, and multilingual. The ED does not need to live in Mattapan but must bring a genuine connection to it or to a similar community. Shared lived experience and cultural connection with the community MFFC serves are strongly desired.
• Fluency in Haitian Creole or another language spoken in the community is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described for this position are that of a typical office environment. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen is an essential aspect of the position. There may be a need to lift and/or move materials or equipment.

The Executive Director position is full-time and exempt, based in Mattapan Square with the potential for a hybrid schedule. The ED is expected to be visible in the local community, which includes periodic evening and weekend commitments such as community meetings, events, and programs. Periodic local, statewide, and national travel is required for conferences, summits, and grant requirements.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for the Executive Director position is $90,000 – 105,000, commensurate with experience and within the organization’s annual budget.

This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): twelve paid holidays, three weeks of vacation, one week of personal holiday, and ability to accrue up to 487.5 hours of health leave time for benefited staff.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Interested candidates should submit materials via the link on this page.

This search is being conducted in partnership with TSNE and Consultant Mimi Brunelle. All submissions are confidential within the Search Committee and TSNE.

Applicants should include:

• A resume or profile summary outlining relevant experience and accomplishments.
• A cover letter expressing their interest, describing their connection to communities like Mattapan and why this role matters to them, and explaining how their skills and experience align with MFFC’s mission and priorities.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until the right candidate is identified. All applicants will receive acknowledgment, and those advancing in the process will be contacted directly. MFFC hopes to welcome its next Executive Director as early as possible in 2027 and early applications are strongly encouraged.

TSNE/MFFC strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/MFFC prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/MFFC celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/MFFC's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients. 

TSNE/MFFC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the application and hiring process. If you need an accommodation to apply or participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Mimi Brunelle. Requests will be handled confidentially and shared only as needed to evaluate and implement the accommodation.

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