American Atheists’ President Search Open Until July 7, 2018

American Atheists is currently undertaking a search for its next president.

The application period for the position of President of American Atheists is open until July 7, 2018.

President

Position Overview

The President of American Atheists provides visionary leadership, stewardship, and a powerful influential voice for atheists. In collaboration with the Board of Directors and senior staff, the President will develop and oversee the implementation of programs and strategies to continue our mission to advocate for the absolute separation of religion from government, to elevate the profile of atheism in public discourse, and to build and strengthen communities that fully represent the growing number of atheists in America.

Responsibilities

  • Provide visionary and inspirational strategic leadership to cultivate a robust, creative, responsive, and welcoming environment for staff, affiliates, volunteers, members, donors, and coalition partners.
  • Serve as primary spokesperson for the organization actively promoting our mission through motivational speaking engagements and all forms of media.
  • Identify and develop opportunities for advocacy through coalition building, creative media campaigns, and other direct actions.
  • Oversee the long-term financial stability and growth of the organization and set priorities to support the needs of the programs and staff.
  • Develop a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board of Directors and ensure open communication about the measurement of financial, programmatic, and donor engagement information against stated goals.
  • Identify opportunities for program funding by cultivating, stewarding, soliciting, and maintaining a portfolio of major donors.
  • Expand the influence of American Atheists.

Qualifications

  • At least five years of management experience, either in the non-profit, for-profit, or public sector.
  • Extensive knowledge of and commitment to the separation of religion from government and a personal investment in the mission of American Atheists.
  • Outstanding communication skills, including extensive experience as an outgoing and high profile spokesperson; demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, to articulate the priorities, programs, and mission of American Atheists; and experience in both traditional media (print, television, radio, etc.) and digital media.
  • Proven success as a relationship builder and fundraiser; demonstrated experience and capacity to raise funds from major donors and secure gifts in the six-figure range.
  • Excellent coalition building skills with an ability to work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong commitment to the professional development of staff; successful track record of recruiting and retaining a diverse team.
  • Demonstrated ability with budget and financial management.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary will be commensurate with experience. Additional benefits include paid sick, holiday, and vacation days; 401(k) with employer match, health insurance and dental insurance.

Location

This position can be based anywhere and will require significant travel.

To Apply

Please send your resume and cover letter to: presidentsearch@atheists.org by July 7, 2018 with the subject line “President Search”.

American Atheists is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of American Atheists to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliations, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, or on the basis of personal favoritism or other non-merit factors, except where otherwise provided by law.

David Silverman Courtesy Atheist Alliance of America
David Silverman Courtesy Atheist Alliance of America

David Silverman Has Been Terminated by American Atheists

American Atheist Convention Coming to OKC; Conference Details & Speaker Line-up

Photo courtesy American Atheists. Hugh Laurie will provide the keynote address on Friday, March 30.

The 2018 American Atheists National Convention will begin on Friday, March 30 with additional social events on Thursday, March 29 for attendees who arrive early. All speakers and events will be held in the Century Ballroom of the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel unless otherwise noted.

Keynote Address: Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie is an actor, director, singer, comedian, and television icon. We’re honored to welcome Hugh as the keynote speaker for our 2018 National Convention.

From his work with collaborator Stephen Fry in the sketch comedy series A Bit of Fry & Laurie to his starring role as Gregory House in House, Hugh Laurie has been a fixture of television, film, and music for more than 35 years. Mr. Laurie has also made appeared on HBO’s Veep, BBC’s The Night Manager, and currently stars on the Hulu series Chance.

In addition to his acting, Mr. Laurie is a talented musician and plays piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, and saxophone. He is a vocalist and keyboard player for the charity rock group Band From TV and has released two blue albums, Let Them Talk and Didn’t It Rain.

“Our national convention is all about fun and community,” said David Silverman, president of American Atheists. “We’re all looking forward to the fantastic speakers and other programming, but we’re even more excited to welcome hundreds of atheists from all across the country and from right here in Oklahoma City to show just how vibrant the atheist community is.”

Besides Laurie, the national convention will host more than two dozen speakers including science advocate and skeptic Yvette “The Sci-Babe” d’Entremont, managing editor of Snopes.com Brooke Binkowski, founder of The Thinking Atheist Seth Andrews, comedians Leighann Lord and Andy Wood, a screening of Bill Nye: Science Guy followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, and many more.

On Sunday, American Atheists will host a volunteer service event to pack 30,000 meals for local people in need. After the service project, anyone who volunteers or donates will be invited to an exclusive after-party featuring drinks, dancing, snacks, and some special guests.

 THURSDAY, MARCH 29
  • 3:00pm – Registration Opens
  • 7:30pm – Pub Quiz (Separately ticketed event, $10)
  • 8:30pm – Cards Against Humanity and Game Night (Separately ticketed event, $20)

Anyone who has arrived Thursday is welcome to join us for the 8:30pm game night. The custom American Atheists Cards Against Humanity set will only be available to those who purchase a ticket. All proceeds from the Cards Against Humanity card sales will be donated to a local charity.

FRIDAY, MARCH 30

  • 8:00am – Registration Opens
  • 10:00am – Opening Remarks and Welcome
  • 10:30am – Mary Johnson
  • 11:15am – Yvette d’Entremont, “The SciBabe”
  • 12:00pm – Lunch Break (boxed lunches available)
  • 12:00pm – Members Meeting and Working Lunch
  • 1:30pm – Natasha Stoynoff
  • 2:15pm – Jim Helton
  • 3:00pm – Hugh Laurie (Keynote Address)
  • 4:00pm – Afternoon Break
  • 4:30pm – Gavin Grimm
  • 5:15pm – Shirley Rivera
  • 6:00pm – Evening Break
  • 6:30pm – VIP Reception (separately ticketed event, $250)
  • 6:30pm – Friday Awards Dinner (separately ticketed event, $60)
  • 9:00pm – Comedy Show (separately ticketed event, $25)

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

  • 9:30am – Opening Remarks
  • 9:45am – Mohammad Alkhadra
  • 10:30am – Andre Salais
  • 11:15am – Nick Fish
  • 12:00pm – Lunch Break (boxed lunches available)
  • 12:00pm – Local Activism Working Lunch
  • 1:30pm – Anthony Magnabosco
  • 2:15pm – Kim Abell
  • 3:00pm – David Silverman
  • 4:00pm – Bill Nye: Science Guy Movie Screening with panel discussion from director David Alvarado and social media producer Tracey Moody, moderated by Pamela Whissel
  • 6:30pm – Evening Break
  • 7:00pm – Saturday Dinner
  • 9:00pm – Dance party, featuring DJ, drinks, photobooth, and more (open to all attendees!)

SUNDAY, APRIL 1

Note: The closing “Thank You” event will be open to anyone who donates to or volunteers at our volunteer service project. The closing party will feature musical performances, speakers, light refreshments, and a cash bar.

Full details and more information on speakers:

2018 National Convention

Atheists Denounce Trump Administration’s New “Religious Freedom” Office and Dangerous New Rules Promoting Discrimination

Washington, DC—As part of its continued assault on LGBTQ people and women under the guise of “religious freedom,” the Trump administration has announced the creation of a new “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division” within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights. The new division would be charged with shielding medical professionals who refuse to treat patients because of religious objections.

In addition, HHS is expected to announce a proposed rule change that would allow healthcare providers to discriminate against patients and deny treatment on the basis of religious objections.

The rule change would roll back Obama-era regulations that provided non-discrimination protections for individuals receiving healthcare services. Prior to these regulations, healthcare providers were able to use “conscience” exceptions to deny access to birth control, treatment for HIV and AIDS, and end-of-life care; discriminate against transgender patients and even deny emergency ambulance services to a woman seeking an abortion.

“The Trump administration seems to define religious freedom as the ability to freely discriminate against LGBTQ people and women,” said Alison Gill, legal and policy director for American Atheists. “I have no doubt that changing this rule will cost people their lives. Medical evidence, not religious dogma, should be deciding medical care.”

So-called “conscience” protections are the latest tactic being used by the Religious Right to undermine civil rights laws and equal protection. In a proclamation for National Religious Freedom Day, the Trump administration said that Americans could pick and choose which laws to follow on the basis of their religious beliefs, a sentiment echoed by Roger Severino, the director of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, in a statement announcing the proposed changes.

“These changes fly in the face of established law and court precedent. This new office and the proposed rule don’t protect religious freedom. They merely elevate one particular set of religious views—namely that LGBTQ people are sinful and that abortion is immoral—above all others, and weaponize it against vulnerable people,” added Gill. “The Office for Civil Rights should try focusing on protecting civil rights instead of wasting time and money to undermine them.”

Severino, the chief architect of the proposed HHS rule, has previously worked to expand religious exemptions and undermine basic civil rights protections for LGBTQ people, particularly transgender people.