The Stapleton Foundation hopes to have a new chief executive officer on board by July. A replacement is being sought for Beverly Haddon who announced her resignation last November. Haddon is the foundation’s second CEO and has been on the job for 15 years.
The foundation was created in 1990, more or less at the same time that the entire framework for redeveloping the former Stapleton Airport site was being formulated. The foundation’s web site states its mission is to “advocate, sustain and realize the principles of the 1995 Stapleton Development Plan (The Green Book). The foundation is seen as the long-term conscience of the Green Book principles.
Interviewed last fall for an article on the Green Book, Haddon said the foundation will focus more tightly on the goals of affordable housing, schools and diversity now that the wellness and environmental initiatives are well underway.
The foundation enjoys a permanent funding source comprised of a “community fee” collected at time of closing on the sale of residential and commercial properties in Stapleton. The amount is based on the purchase price less $100,000 multiplied by a quarter of one percent. For example, a home selling for $300,000 would be assessed a fee of $500 ($300,000 – $100,000 x .0025). In 2015, revenue from the fee was $600,000. The foundation also supports itself with grants, which amounted to $1.3 million in 2015. In addition to a CEO, the foundation employs three fulltime staff.  The staff of the foundation is supplemented by 13 contractors and other supporters.
Carolyn McCormick of Peak HR Consulting has been engaged to assist in the hiring process. She hopes interviews can take place in May and a hiring decision by the board made in June. She said, however, that the search will continue until the board finds the right person. Amy Anderson, board chair, said, “We are starting to see some strong candidates” and is optimistic that the hiring schedule will be met.
On the foundation’s web site, the “leadership opportunity” description states “familiarity with the city of Denver” is highly preferred. Anderson explained this is important because of the need for “strong partnerships in education and affordable housing. I hope that the candidates come with some of those relationships but we are not limiting our search.”
That same document says the incoming CEO will be tasked with “charting the most appropriate and impactful role for the foundation as the community moves from development to sustainability.” Recently, the major part of Haddon’s time with the foundation has been spent on educational issues as Denver Public Schools has struggled to keep pace with the surge in school-age children in Stapleton.
Anderson, who has been on the board for five years and chair since February, said the “first 20 years for the foundation has been to see that the Green Book principles are honored. What should the foundation’s role be going forward as we move beyond development? We have incubated many programs over the years. We need to focus on other areas to incubate. One is affordable housing. We have made some good progress on this in Stapleton but we are not anywhere we want to be.”
The foundation’s 2015 budget totaled $2.6 million of which $1.32 million was grant revenue. Administrative expenses totaled $628,000. Program expenses are broken out as follows: