About Charles Higgins, MSW

Adept at articulating a cause, I am a values-driven leader with expertise in producing events, fundraising, marketing, PR, crisis communications, strategic planning, team building, program development..., collaborations, youth development, job readiness and career guidance for teens. I worked in Hunters Point, the Western Addition, Richmond, Excelsior and Mission in SF and East and West Oakland and West Marin County. A quick learner and active listener, I am comfortable working in a diverse environment and a variety of communities. A native of San Francisco, I am a social entrepreneur with experience in the development and strategic management of nonprofit organizations. During a contract stint at the San Francisco Conservation Corps, I oversaw outreach, recruitment and supportive services for 18-24 year old youth in transition; I forged strategic partnerships, initiated several employee morale events and introduced Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to staff and program participants. Before this, I served the SF Maritime National Park Association as CEO; was director of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, with community programs and a food bank on the west side of SF. From 2007-2012, I was executive director of Slide Ranch, an environmental education center with a focus on sustainable agriculture and food. I produce innovative projects that inspire growth, increase relevance and mission orientation for organizations. I was the first ED, from 1999 to 2004, of Youth Tennis Advantage after the challenging merger of the National Junior Tennis League chapter in SF with the Youth Tennis Foundation of Northern California. The NJTL was founded by tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe. In 1992, I founded the Bicycle Community Project, and ran bike shops for training inner-city youths in repair, transportation and small business skills (Bike Traffic, a pioneer in social enterprise in the heart of San Francisco's old Fillmore and the Bike Hut at South Beach)show more