Location: 215 67th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Reports To: Board of Trustees
Start Date: As Soon As Possible

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2024

Our Mission

Create opportunities for profound personal change in body, mind, and spirit through the wisdom found in the Edgar Cayce material.

Our Vision

Global Manifestation of Oneness and the Love of God and All People

Our Efforts

• Facilitate personal transformation, and ultimately global transformation, towards God on the basis of the information contained in the Edgar Cayce Readings.
• Foster the study, research, application, and dissemination of the information in the Edgar Cayce readings.
• Engage in a variety of activities which, taken together, form the foundation for meeting the mission of the A.R.E.

Background Summary

The Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 1931 to preserve, research and disseminate the information in the approximately 14,000 psychic discourses (readings) of Edgar Cayce. Celebrating its 93rd anniversary this year, A.R.E. is a worldwide organization with approximately 11,780 members* in more than 64 countries. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, the work of the organization is supported by representatives and volunteers in six regions of the United States and Cayce Centers around the world. Each year, people from all walks of life have been inspired by the meaningful and life-transforming insights in the Edgar Cayce readings and the A.R.E.’s programs and materials.
(*Membership details thru 07/31/2024.)

Activities of the organization include headquarters and online conferences, field conferences, publishing, bookstore and catalogue book sales, membership activities, a well-developed website, a massage school, a health spa, magazine, and tours. Other spiritually oriented activities include worldwide Study Groups, a Prison Program, and International Prayer Services. The Library Conference Center on the grounds of the organization contains approximately 65,000 volumes devoted to philosophy, astrology, religion, ancient civilizations, psychology, health and healing, and the paranormal.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the A.R.E. manages and oversees three separate organizations under the direction of a single Board of Trustees.

The Association of Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) currently has an operating budget of $5.6 million and total assets of $19 million. Its primary sources of revenue are philanthropy, contributions from members and others, membership dues, sales of literature and Cayce related materials, and fees for tuition, conferences, and tours. The organization currently employs a staff of approximately 49 supplemented by the efforts of more than 87 volunteers. The primary facility consists of four buildings located on a four-acre campus in the north end of Virginia Beach, one block from the ocean.

Atlantic University (A.U.) confers the degree of Master of Arts in Transpersonal Studies. Primarily a distance learning school, it currently has approximately 45 students, employs a highly experienced faculty, and offers a total of 50 courses through its catalogue. With an annual budget in excess of $349,000, the current sources of A.U.’s revenue are tuition, fees, and contributions. Atlantic University is accredited by the State Council of Higher Education and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.

The Edgar Cayce Foundation (E.C.F.) was founded in 1948 for the purpose of owning, preserving, and promoting research into the Edgar Cayce readings, as well as archiving the files of Edgar Cayce and other historical information. Located on the A.R.E. campus, E.C.F. sponsors research of the readings, the files of Edgar Cayce, and organizational history. The foundation derives its $50,000 annual income from contributions, mineral royalties, and support from the A.R.E. The E.C.F. is a very small and separate organization run by a professional archivist.

Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce is considered one of America’s greatest psychics. Students of his work maintain that Cayce was able to tap into a sort of higher consciousness to obtain knowledge from “psychic sources” to answer the questions people posed. Mr. Cayce was known as “the sleeping prophet” because he did his readings with his eyes closed and appeared to go into a trance. By the time of his death, stenographic and typewritten accounts of more than 14,000 such readings given on request for thousands of individuals had been accumulated.

Although Edgar Cayce died more than 80 years ago, the timelessness of the material in the readings is evidenced by approximately one dozen biographies and more than 300 other books that discuss various aspects of his life and work. The majority of the Edgar Cayce readings deal with health maintenance and the treatment of illness, most arising from the needs of the person for whom a reading was given. Although Mr. Cayce addressed a vast number of subjects in his work, much of the subject matter can be grouped into the following categories:

• Health-related information
• Spiritual Growth, Meditation, and Prayer
• Philosophy and Reincarnation
• Dreams and Dream Interpretation
• ESP and Psychic Phenomena

Core Competencies

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, a self-perpetuating body of approximately 15 members, the CEO will direct the planning, organization, and administration of the Association of Research & Enlightenment, Atlantic University, and the Edgar Cayce Foundation. Working in accordance with the principles found in the Edgar Cayce readings, the CEO provides vision and leadership to eight direct reports as well as all of the team directors, projects, and staff across the three organizations.

Leadership

Provide guidance, stability, support, and collaboration to a staff of talented and skilled professionals; offer leadership to the Board of Trustees in their activities; implement the Strategic Plan to ensure that the goals and objectives of A.R.E./A.U./E.C.F. are successfully achieved. Provide vision and direction for the future growth of programs, policies, and procedures for the entire enterprise.

Fund Development and Financial Accountability

Develop new, creative ideas for increasing net revenue and strengthening A.R.E.’s financial position, including building relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations that will lead to new revenue streams for the Cayce work. Research, cultivate, and solicit major gifts from prospects who have a passion for the A.R.E./A.U./E.C.F. and who have the capacity to make sizeable gifts to the three organizations. Oversee their budgets and ensure sound fiscal management and capital allocation. Work with the Board’s Investment Committee to determine the allocation of fiscal resources to achieve the highest returns.

Management

Develop and implement procedures to ensure effective management, administrative, and fiscal practices that will produce a balanced budget and a sound fiscal base. Ensure that the staff understands the vision and direction of A.R.E./A.U./E.C.F. and that they have the resources and training to be able to develop and mature in their roles and responsibilities. Lead by example and maintain the highest professional standards and practices across the three organizations.

Public Relations and Community Outreach

Establish and maintain outstanding rapport with the A.R.E. membership. Serve as the principal spokesperson for the A.R.E./A.U./E.C.F. and work closely with the media, constituents, donors, and other stakeholders to maintain and further the reputation of the organizations, such as A.U. students and faculty, regional and international representatives, city government officials, and the local Chamber of Commerce, among others.

The Profile

We seek a seasoned nonprofit executive, whose leadership and management background demonstrate a proven ability to work in close partnership with a variety of public and private constituencies to preserve and to build relationships that support growth and stability. Prior experience in a senior administrative role in another association, nonprofit organization, educational institution, or corporate setting is required.

We seek an inspirational leader who can articulate and promote the compelling mission of the A.R.E./A.U./E.C.F. and who can personally handle a position of visibility with various constituent groups internationally, nationally, regionally, and locally. This person will be a proven leader and a consensus builder who incorporates well-balanced spiritual and business values into his or her everyday life. Spiritual growth must have been an important benefit to this person in his or her life.

Highly desirable attributes include the ability to communicate sincerely and directly to internal and external audiences, expressing trust and support in addition to the ability to influence others to action that achieves positive results. The successful candidate will exhibit emotional intelligence, trustworthiness, high ethical standards, the utmost integrity, and values that are compatible with the principles in the Edgar Cayce readings.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in one or more of the subject areas that comprise the basic principles of the A.R.E., including holistic medicine, reincarnation, dream interpretation, comparative religion, and more.

Professional organizational skills are required, including experience in hiring, developing, and leading a staff team toward well-defined performance goals. The ideal candidate will possess a demonstrated ability to manage through a combination of delegation, supervision, or hands-on involvement when needed. Demonstrated experience in raising funds, as well as financial management experience, is mandatory. Qualified candidates must possess an undergraduate degree; a graduate degree is preferable. The successful candidate must demonstrate a minimum of eight years of successful management experience and is expected to become a full-time resident of the Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Hampton Roads metropolitan area.

For more information, please contact:

Email: CEO.Search@EdgarCayce.org