A new nonprofit foundation created to raise money for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reached agreement Monday to hire Jim Lynch as its first executive director. The move clears the way for fundraising to begin going into the new year.
Lynch, who is expected to start Dec. 1, owns a consulting firm and most recently worked as chief operating officer for the Salvation Army in Atlanta. His new position is part time. He and the foundation's board are in final negotiations over his salary, which will be paid out of funds raised by the foundation. Lynch will report to the board and will be its only employee.
The foundation, which state lawmakers created in mid-2010 after the department underwent several years of budget cuts, spent much of this year working through organizational efforts, with several milestones reached this fall. It received federal recognition as a nonprofit organization in September. The state officially designated it as a charitable organization in October.
The hiring of Lynch anchors that work. Lynch faces a task of coming up with fundraising plans and doing the legwork to make them happen, both with corporate sponsors and individuals. Dr. David Allen, the board's chairman, has set an initial goal next year to raise $2 million to $6 million for projects within the department.
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