Como Friends | Saint Paul, MN
Salary Range: $195,000 - $225,000
Ballinger | Leafblad is proud to partner with Como Friends in the search for its next President—a rare opportunity to lead the nonprofit partner of the beloved Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, visited by nearly 1.8 million people each year. As the philanthropic engine behind transformational capital projects, conservation efforts, and barrier-free access, Como Friends plays a vital role in shaping this treasured public space. The next President will build on a strong foundation of support, bringing visionary leadership, fundraising expertise, and a commitment to the public private partnership that makes Como thrive—honoring its legacy while leading it into a vibrant and inclusive future.
Como Friends serves as the philanthropic heart of Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, one of Minnesota’s most cherished cultural landmarks.
Founded in 2000, Como Friends was created by visionary community volunteers who recognized the need to protect and enhance this beloved institution for future generations. Since then, Como Friends has grown into a powerful public-private partnership that fuels innovation, conservation, and barrier-free access for nearly two million visitors each year.
POSITION PROFILE – PRESIDENT
The President of Como Friends is a visionary and strategic leader who will guide the next chapter of this trusted nonprofit partner to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. This role leads a talented team, works closely with the Board of Directors, and partners with the City of Saint Paul to inspire community generosity that keeps Como free and accessible to all. The President is responsible for shaping strategy, strengthening donor relationships, overseeing financial and operational health, and championing Como Friends’ mission across fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement.
The ideal candidate is creative, collaborative, and passionate about Como. They bring strong experience in fundraising, leadership, and partnership-building, along with a knack for seeing new possibilities and helping others bring bold ideas to life. With a deep appreciation for Como’s impact, they’ll listen to community feedback, support staff creativity, and help Como Friends grow its reach and relevance for the future.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The President reports to the Board of Directors. Direct reports include: Director of Individual Giving; Director of Finance; Director of Institutional Partnership & Events; Creative Director; Administrative Assistant; and Director of Retail Operations.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
BOARD ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
- Partner with the Board of Directors to articulate a long-term strategic vision for Como Friends, ensuring alignment with mission, values, and priorities.
- Lead board engagement by cultivating meaningful relationships, facilitating strategic discussions, and ensuring effective governance through well-staffed committees and high impact meetings.
FUNDRAISING & PHILANTHROPY STRATEGY
- Serve as the chief ambassador and strategist for Como Friends’ philanthropic mission, fostering a culture of generosity that sustains Como’s barrier-free access and conservation leadership.
- Cultivate, steward, and grow major donor relationships, including legacy donors and new supporters, and provide strategic oversight to annual and campaign fundraising activities, including Give to the Max Day and capital campaigns.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP & ADVOCACY
- Represent Como Friends in strong partnership with the City of Saint Paul and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory leadership, collaborating on shared priorities and campus-wide initiatives.
- Oversee Como Friends’ advocacy strategy, hiring and managing government relations consultants, coordinating with city leaders, and building trusted relationships with policymakers to advance capital bonding requests and long-term campus investment.
FINANCIAL & OPERATIONAL STEWARDSHIP
- Lead Como Friends’ financial strategy, working with staff and board to manage a multi-million-dollar annual budget, oversee investment and endowment management, and ensure transparency, sustainability, and impact.
- Provide organizational leadership that ensures operational excellence, strategic resource allocation, and alignment between people, process, and purpose.
STAFF LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
- Inspire, manage, and develop a collaborative, high-performing team aligned around mission, equity, and innovation.
- Directly supervise senior leaders and foster a strong, inclusive culture across all levels of the organization.
- Provide leadership and hands-on support in personnel matters, particularly within the Garden Safari Gifts retail team, which includes more than 40 part-time staff spanning generations. Serve as a key liaison with Como Friends’ HR consultant to navigate sensitive staffing issues, conflict resolution, and performance management with empathy and professionalism.
GRANTMAKING & IMPACT INVESTMENTS
- Steward and deploy Como Friends’ internal grants to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, including discretionary grants and asset preservation grants,including discretionary and asset preservation funds, in partnership with the Zoo and Conservatory to support animal care, horticulture, education, and infrastructure.
RETAIL & EARNED REVENUE OVERSIGHT
- Provide strategic and operational oversight of Garden Safari Gifts, Como Friends’ onsite retail operation, ensuring strong alignment with mission, sound HR practices, and robust financial performance.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EXTERNAL RELATIONS
- Serve as the public face of Como Friends, building authentic relationships with civic, corporate, and community leaders to expand visibility, deepen engagement, and advocate for Como’s impact and accessibility.
- Represent Como Friends at community events and public forums, acting as a visible and passionate spokesperson for the organization’s mission and values.
PROGRAM INNOVATION & COMMUNITY RELEVANCE
- Inspire and support staff in developing creative, mission-aligned fundraising events, donor experiences, and storytelling initiatives that deepen community connection and drive philanthropic engagement.
- Champion a culture of curiosity and responsiveness by encouraging new ideas grounded in donor and community feedback, helping Como Friends evolve its programs to remain dynamic, inclusive, and relevant.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of leadership and management experience, ideally in the nonprofit or civic sector.
- Proven success in fundraising, with a strong track record cultivating major donors, securing institutional support, and leading multi-channel campaigns.
- Experience partnering with a Board of Directors, with the ability to support effective governance, strategic engagement, and committee structures.
- Demonstrated operational acumen, including oversight of budgeting, financial reporting, endowment strategy, and administrative systems.
- Experience managing personnel issues in collaboration with an HR consultant, including navigating staffing challenges common in a part-time, retail workforce.
- Legislative or public advocacy experience, including the ability to build relationships with policymakers and advance public funding efforts such as capital bonding requests.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to serve as a compelling ambassador for the organization.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a collaborative and humble leadership style that fosters trust, inclusivity, and long-term partnerships.
- Creative and forward-thinking, with the ability to generate new ideas, see emerging opportunities, and evolve programming and strategies to deepen impact.
- Experience navigating public-private partnerships and/or working with government or civic partners is highly valued.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, with strong initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to mission-centered innovation.
- Deep appreciation for the unique role Como Park Zoo & Conservatory plays in Minnesota’s cultural landscape and a passion for equity, conservation, and community access.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is: $195,000 - $225,000. Competitive benefits include: health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, short-term disability insurance, retirement plan, paid vacation, thirteen paid holidays, three paid personal days and sick leave.
LOCATION
This is a primarily in-office role based at Como Friends’ headquarters on the Como Park campus in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Como Friends staff may work up to 2 days a week from home if they are able to conduct their work remotely.
The position requires occasional evening and weekend hours to attend donor meetings, community events, and board or committee gatherings. Seasonal advocacy work will also require a presence at the State Capitol and related meetings during legislative sessions.
TO APPLY
Send your resume and cover letter to: apply@ballingerleafblad.com.
We strive for a transparent and supportive process, starting with an initial review of applications, followed by exploratory conversations with qualified candidates, in-depth interviews, and open communication throughout. There will be an immediate and ongoing review of candidates, so we encourage and appreciate early applications. All inquiries will remain confidential.
For more details or questions, inquiries may also be directed to Jamie Millard, jamie@ballingerleafblad.com.
Applications accepted until May 9, 2025. Review of materials begins immediately. We encourage early application.
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