The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of executive director. For over 100 years, the ACLU SoCal has been the leading champion of civil liberties and civil rights in the state. The person appointed to this career-defining role will lead one of the most influential and impactful organizations in the nation’s most diverse and populous state. This is a hybrid position based in Los Angeles, California. The executive director is expected to take office in late May or early June 2025.
“We know that a second Trump administration will be even more aggressive and effective than it was before. . . . The Trump administration’s anti-liberty and fundamentally anti-American policies will be met with the full firepower of the ACLU.” — Anthony Romero, ACLU Executive Director
AN ERA THAT CALLS FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER
There is no denying that we are living in an era of unprecedented threats to our democracy and attacks on our rights and freedoms. It is an especially perilous time for those targeted by Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail and by the unconstitutional actions pursued during his first administration. But the ACLU is once again prepared to push back against his policies. During his first term, the ACLU filed 434 legal challenges against his administration, successfully blocking some of his most egregious policies.
The ACLU analyzed Trump’s second-term plans and created a comprehensive roadmap to combat his administration. In a series of seven memos released in the summer of 2024, the ACLU details its plans to fight mass deportation efforts, protect abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights, and ensure that people can freely exercise their First Amendment rights. A major component of the roadmap is working with states and cities to build a firewall for freedom and enact laws that protect people from government abuse. California was a leader in fighting the most extreme policies of Trump’s first administration, and people in the state and across the country are expecting California to once again take up the mantle of leadership and stand with other states to defend the Constitution and uphold the rule of law.
It is at this moment that ACLU SoCal seeks an extraordinary leader to build on its remarkable legacy of success and defend against an imminent onslaught of civil liberties and civil rights abuses. This is a time not merely for strong and steady stewardship. The new executive director must be a strategic and visionary leader who grasps the magnitude of this moment; draws upon the affiliate’s deep experience in impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and fearless organizing; mobilizes its network of lawyers, organizers, allies, and volunteers; and explores a new set of tactics, strategies, and priorities in an environment presenting extreme challenges and historic opportunities.
ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Founded in 1923 as the first local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU SoCal is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that has been at the forefront of major efforts to protect and promote civil liberties, civil rights, and equal justice in California and nationwide. ACLU SoCal tackles a vast array of issues, including First Amendment rights, criminal justice, voting rights, gender equity, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrants’ rights, police practices, jail reform, education equity, and economic justice.
With more than 120,000 members, a staff of 85, and a total budget of $18 million (as of December 2024), ACLU SoCal is headquartered in Los Angeles and currently has offices in Orange County (Orange), the Inland Empire (Riverside), and Kern County (Bakersfield). ACLU SoCal consists of two separate, nonprofit corporate entities: the ACLU of Southern California—a nonprofit social welfare organization under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code—and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. Both entities are tax-exempt, have the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. Both are governed by boards of directors to whom the executive director reports.
The ACLU has served as the nation’s preeminent defender of civil liberties and civil rights since 1920. Today, the ACLU has affiliates in 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. While each affiliate enjoys significant autonomy in determining programs and priorities appropriate to its regional needs, the ACLU has increasingly operated as one nationwide organization rather than a federation of loosely affiliated local organizations. California is unique in that it has three affiliates: ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties. In 2021, the affiliates jointly formed ACLU California Action, a 501(c)(4) organization to lobby the California legislature and achieve policy change in the state. ACLU SoCal collaborates with staff members from the ACLU’s national office and other affiliates on specific issues and projects. Consistent with its theory of change, ACLU SoCal works with directly affected individuals, communities, and organizations to build durable relationships based on mutual respect and to identify and pursue shared goals.
ACLU SoCal celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2023, marking 100 years of relentless, trailblazing advocacy in the courts, in legislative chambers, and in communities. Among its many accomplishments over the last century, ACLU SoCal fought back against the incarceration of people of Japanese descent during World War II, won the nation’s first successful school desegregation lawsuit on behalf of Mexican-American students in Lemon Grove, convinced the California Supreme Court to become the first court in the land to strike down an abortion ban, and became among the first to support the rights of people with HIV. Through a global pandemic, ACLU SoCal worked to protect the human and civil rights of vulnerable people and communities—from low-income students, to unhoused people, to immigrants and asylum-seekers in ICE detention centers. As the United States experienced a national reckoning over racism and police violence, ACLU SoCal defended the right to protest. As it has done since its founding by author and social justice crusader Upton Sinclair more than a century ago, ACLU SoCal continues to show up whenever people’s rights are in jeopardy and to break new ground in the ongoing fight to defend and expand civil liberties and civil rights.
THe ACLU SoCal’s effectiveness is driven largely by its commitment to intersectional and integrated advocacy—communicating, collaborating, and coalition-building across the organization and with community partners to maximize the impact of its day-to-day work. This approach, which unites legal advocacy, policy advocacy, organizing, and base building, has enabled the ACLU SoCal to tackle unforeseen assaults on communities, like California Proposition 8 and the Muslim ban, while continuing to safeguard the rights of the systemically oppressed, including people who are incarcerated and unhoused.
The ACLU SoCal is a proudly unionized workplace. The ACLU SoCal affirmatively values the humanity and contributions of all staff members and strives to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. The ACLU SoCal is committed to embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all facets of the organization to create a genuine culture of belonging within the affiliate—respecting and embracing difference, treating everyone equitably, and empowering everyone to do their best work.
HISTORY OF THE POSITION
The ACLU SoCal has a remarkably long history of stable and progressive leadership. Indeed, only two executive directors have led this venerable organization in the past half century.
Ramona Ann Ripston (1927-2018) was a pioneering civil rights activist, a fierce and unrelenting opponent of injustice and oppression. As ACLU SoCal’s executive director from 1972 to 2011, she became the first woman to lead a major ACLU affiliate. She grew ACLU SoCal from a six-person operation to a 50-person legal powerhouse and transformed it into a multi-faceted organization with communications and field organizing departments. In 2005, she opened an Orange County office that has been tremendously successful in serving communities in what is now the third most populated county in the state. Ripston’s leadership spanned all aspects of the affiliate’s efforts—litigation, policy, lobbying, and education. She expanded its civil rights initiatives to explicitly cover economic matters, education equity, police reform, reproductive justice, and combating racial discrimination. Her legacy continues to exert influence in Southern California and beyond.
Hector Villagra, then ACLU SoCal’s legal director, succeeded Ripston as executive director, becoming the first Latino to hold the post. During his tenure, the organization expanded its reach and deepened its impact across the region, opening offices in the Inland Empire and Kern County and doubling in size, adding attorneys, policy advocates, and organizers. After nearly two decades at ACLU SoCal—the last 13 years serving as its executive director—Villagra announced his intention to step down from his post and move on to other pursuits.
Liz Cabrera Garcia, director of statewide collaboration at ACLU California Action, is serving as the interim executive director while ACLU SoCal’s governing boards conduct a nationwide search for Villagra’s successor.
ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The executive director is the chief executive officer of the ACLU of Southern California and provides overall strategic, financial, and operational leadership and oversight to achieve the organization’s mission, strategies, goals, and objectives. The executive director has primary responsibility for managing day-to-day operations; directing the work and development of a diverse and talented staff; shaping the organization’s internal culture; fostering an environment of continuous improvement, learning, and effectiveness; and ensuring that the organization is fiscally sound and that its litigation, advocacy, fundraising, internal and external communications, and programs are meeting the current and emergent needs and interests of its constituents.
Above all, the executive director embodies what it means to be a people-centric leader who is attuned to the pressing issues of the day and leads with a passion and drive that centers the well-being and development of the organization and the communities it serves. As the ACLU SoCal’s chief ambassador and spokesperson, the executive director cultivates relationships that build support and maximize the affiliate’s influence; assumes a prominent role in California’s public interest, good government, anti-racist, and social change communities; and engages in a wide range of partnerships across the state, region, and country to promote and deepen community relations and coalition work. The executive director leads the implementation of the ACLU SoCal’s racial justice framework, which seeks to undo the harm of racism and white supremacy both internally within the affiliate and externally through its advocacy. Overseeing the execution of multi-issue campaigns at the local, state, and national levels requires the executive director to draw on their expertise and leadership experience as well as evolving best practices in intersectional work and movements.
Reporting to and working closely with the boards of directors of the ACLU SoCal’s two corporate entities, the executive director leads, guides, directs, and evaluates a senior management team composed of the chief financial officer, chief development officer, chief legal and advocacy officer, chief human resources officer, chief communications and marketing officer, chief information officer, director of operations, and manager of board governance and relations.
See the official job description.
RELATIONSHIPS
The executive director is responsible for initiating and stewarding meaningful relationships with a diverse array of constituents and stakeholders.
Reports to:
- ACLU of Southern California Board of Directors
- ACLU Foundation of Southern California Board of Directors
Current direct reports:
- Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
- Chief Development Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Legal and Advocacy Officer
- Director of Operations
- Manager of Board Governance and Relations
Other key relationships:
- ACLU National and state affiliates
- ACLU of Northern California
- ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
- ACLU California Action
- Current and prospective donors
- Local, state, and federal government officials
- Community partners and advocacy groups
- Business, civic, and industry leaders, including those in entertainment and the arts
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Priorities for the new executive director include, in no particular order:
• Defining the next chapter of the ACLU SoCal’s leadership, refining the organization’s vision and strategy, and elevating its reach and impact at a time when the nation is confronting the most serious assault on fundamental rights and freedoms of this generation.
• Leading the ACLU SoCal’s fiscal sustainability efforts, including shoring up the budget, increasing membership, and cultivating new major donors.
• Identifying areas for growth, including exploring the possibility of opening offices in new areas, merging with or acquiring other organizations, and rebuilding or developing coalitions locally, statewide, and nationally.
• Establishing a shared culture across teams, ensuring that all employees are collaborating with a unified sense of purpose, accountability, transparency, and excellence.
• Driving fundraising efforts in partnership with the chief development officer, cultivating relationships with potential donors and foundations and making the case for philanthropic support.
• Working closely with the ACLU national office and other affiliates to advance the ACLU SoCal’s mission and impact.
• Serving as a highly effective spokesperson and thought leader on civil liberties and civil rights, facilitating conversations in myriad forums and seeking opportunities to promote the affiliate, its brand, and its policy positions and priorities in both the traditional and new media ecosystems.
• Spearheading efforts to embed and sustain people-centric workplace norms, values, and practices that embrace and nurture authentic belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity.
• Cultivating strong working relationships with members of the governing boards, facilitating their work and development as an engaged and cohesive group of leaders, and leveraging their skills and talents to create and execute on strategic goals.
• Leading with integrity and building trust within the organization and between the governing boards and staff.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The ACLU SoCal seeks a visionary, energetic, and inspirational leader with extensive relevant experience, strong leadership and management skills, and a track record of building high-performing teams and driving organizational change. They have a strong moral center, unimpeachable integrity, superb judgment and diplomatic skills, and dedication to bringing effective, long-term leadership to the organization.
Prospective candidates should have many of the following qualifications and characteristics:
• Profound commitment to advancing social justice and defending and expanding the rights and liberties that define American democracy.
• Deep knowledge of civil liberties and civil rights issues and familiarity with the ACLU and the current landscape in the state of California.
• Experience working in a social justice or civil rights organization; experience practicing civil rights law and/or organizing for civil liberties and civil rights is strongly preferred.
• Clear understanding of and commitment to the ACLU SoCal’s integrated advocacy approach and a firm commitment to advancing the ACLU’s core issue areas.
• Strong business acumen and ability to manage the financial, budgeting, and administrative operations of a complex nonprofit organization with a hybrid work model.
• Track record of successful fundraising—or evidence of the knowledge, personal skills, and talent for fundraising—to cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts, partners, and donors.
• Exceptional communication skills, including public speaking and writing, to advocate on behalf of the affiliate and strategically broadcast the mission, ambitions, and work of the ACLU in myriad forums, in media interviews, and in appearances before large audiences; ability to speak Spanish is a plus.
• Experience working with diverse audiences, including elected officials, community leaders, people directly impacted by public policy, coalition partners, business and industry leaders, and the media.
• Ability to engage with staff in ways that afford them voice and visibility, promote their development and growth, and enhance individual and team performance through effective mentoring, coaching, training, and team building.
• Capacity for holding the entire organization accountable for delivering measurable results consistent with achieving the goals in the strategic plan and financial plan.
• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, including ability to give and receive feedback, build trust in an organization, and motivate staff and board members.
• Keen understanding of systemic racism and white supremacy and a track record of actively promoting anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Experience working with or serving on a volunteer board of directors or a similar governing body.
• Engaging, optimistic, and intellectually curious; a great listener with personal warmth and strong resilience in the face of disagreement or criticism.
• Creative, results-oriented, self-starting, willing to learn, and able to manage an aggressive schedule, working beyond a standard workday.
• At least ten years of relevant professional experience with a track record of increasing leadership responsibility and accomplishment.
• Bachelor’s degree; an advanced degree is preferred.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The classification salary range for this position is $201,400 to $335,700 and the anticipated hiring range is $250,000 to $300,000. Salary will be determined by a variety of factors, including the knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual selected.
The ACLU SoCal offers an excellent benefits program, including health and dental insurance, 401K retirement plan, life and long-term disability insurance, and generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
APPLICATION
The ACLU SoCal has exclusively retained Spelman Johnson to assist with the recruitment of its next executive director. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the ACLU SoCal reaches a hiring decision. To ensure full consideration, application materials should be received no later than February 14, 2025. A resume with a cover letter that addresses the responsibilities and requirements outlined in this position specification may be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website. Apply here.
Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson by phone at 413-529-2895 or email at info@spelmanjohnson.com.
This will be a fully confidential search, with no announcement of finalist names. References will not be contacted until after the first round of interviews and not without prior knowledge and approval of candidates.
Confidential inquiries and nominations should be directed to:
Jim Norfleet
Practice Leader and Senior Consultant
Email: jmn@spelmanjohnson.com
Direct: 609-577-3051
The ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to striving to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve.
The ACLU SoCal is an equal opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply and value people of all races, genders (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientations, disabilities, citizenships, ages, religions, and national origins and who have different marital statuses, family caregiving responsibilities, lived experiences with the criminal justice systems, and genetic information. The ACLU SoCal does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these characteristics.