I believe that executive directors should be recruited for the specific job skills that are needed by the Board for the organization at that time and the foreseeable future. This is especially true when the long-serving, founding executive director decides to retire.

Recruitment can take many forms; I have been part of search committees that pay for professional recruitment services that typically costs $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 for a national search. I will avoid any discussion on that particular approach because (a) most organizations cannot afford recruitment services in these economic times; and (b) these economic times present new recruitment opportunities that may be even better than a national search.

Let's start with a simple checklist:

The recruitment process should be conducted by the Board of Directors and the retiring or departing executive director should not be part of the process. Top-notch executive directors will already understand why - you will not need to explain it.An Executive Director Recruitment (or Search) Committee should be formed as a special committee of the Board and a member of the Board should chair it. (It's healthy to get non-board members to participate in the search as well - an excellent source for informed individuals are the former board chairs.)The committee should recommend to the board the specific skill set that is needed, together with any specializations. (Example: if your national accrediting organization has concerns with the quality of your exhibits and your accreditation is in jeopardy, it would not make sense to seek a new executive director who is especially gifted with outreach in the community.) Fit the need to the skill as closely as possible. Make sure the job description is current and approved by the Board.Start by doing something unusual: write a letter to all the chairs of all the non-profits and the top executives of as many private sector organizations in your region as possible. The purpose of this letter is two-fold: (a) make the recipient aware of your organization's executive director search; and (b) ask them if they are aware of anybody they would recommend for the job. People love to be included in important decisions like selecting a new executive director, so don't be timid about seeking input.Hold a committee (and board) discussion about the current state of the organization and exactly what you are looking for in a new executive director, making clear that a specific skill set is the goal. (I have seen executive directors moved from one organization to another, only to fail - and - I have seen executive directors overlooked for a position in which their specific skill sets were well-suited, but unknown by most people.)

Anecdotally, the economy that is challenging the Non-Profit Sector (and everyone else) should be the perfect time to seek executive director candidates. It is very possible that the executive director search could identify experienced candidates that are now willing to work for a non-profit (instead of a public-sector or private-sector organization) - and - energetic candidates willing to tackle the challenges of the non-profit world.

I really like the idea of asking people if they know of anyone they would recommend as your executive director. Please make this a specific request in your letter. I actually know of one case where a bank president (a recipient of a letter from the non-profit organization) replied that he would like to embark upon a new challenge and be considered for the job!

However, before the letters get addressed and mailed, a lot of thought really does need to go into the search process. When I mentioned the importance of being able to outline the precise skill set for the new executive director, most boards and organizations will find that is not an easy thing to do. It becomes easier if the Strategic Plan (or Long Term Plan) of the organization exists, is up to date, and is known to all the board members. The easiest way to lose the best executive director candidate is to have board members provided differing answers or, even worse, no answers at all.

In the case of a retiring (under good terms) executive director, I suggest the search committee spend some quality time and gain their perspective on how the job should next evolve. In the case of a departing (under not-so-good terms) executive director, the search committee should glean as much information as possible - perhaps from the exit interview - but be sure to filter that information through the future vision of the board. Why? Because the board always holds the ultimate accountability and its vision must be the determining factor. Gaining input from a myriad of sources is good; but, in the end, the board must act.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the recruitment (or search) exercise is that the Board stay involved and in control. Unless you just get lucky, the work of the search committee is hard and involves three parts: (a) the planning; (b) the searching; and (c) the interviewing. There is also follow-up work to do once the selection is made, particularly if a spouse and children are involved in relocating. (Hint: do not make the mistake of overlooking the needs of the family - I have seen a number of top choices lost to organizations who did not understand that it is a family you are bringing to town, not just an executive director.)

Let me speak to the issue of interviewing. For the sake of argument, let's say you have three good candidates. Although it's time consuming, take the time to make sure all of the arrangements for the candidate's visit are in order (airport pickup, hotel reservations, itinerary, etc.). I do not recommend more than one interview per day. A well-planned, solid interview by a board committee is an all-day event. Let's face it: if you have done a good job finding a good candidate, then that candidate deserves your full attention. I find that too many organizations try to sell themselves to the candidate; instead, I would recommend sharing some honest scenarios and 'what-if' questions and answers between the committee and the board. This is an excellent way to determine how the executive director and board member will interact. Please note this is not to say that you should not promote your organization as positively as you can; after all, you seek a top-notch performer, so you need to demonstrate you are ready and worthy of such a person.

In conclusion, I believe the timing is ideal for non-profit organizations to aggressively recruit executive directors like never before - primarily due to the economy - but, also due to the challenges and rewards that the public is beginning to identify with the community (non-profit) sector.

This subject - executive director recruitment - is a critical one; let's see if we can get some good feedback and dialogue going from this article to the blog. Share some actual experiences. Ask some questions that you would normally not want to ask (everything is as anonymous as you want it to be). Let's have a meaningful dialogue. Your input is requested.

Even the dictionary cannot decide on the level of responsibility associated with the word executive. The first definition of the noun executive is; a person or group of persons having administrative or supervisory authority in an organisation. The second definition is; the person or persons in whom the supreme executive power of a government is vested, which contradicts the former definition. With this fundamental contradiction in the English language it is hardly surprising that it is unclear in job titles. For example, an Executive Producer in television, music and film production is a very senior person who oversees and gives a final seal of approval on a project. Conversely, a Production Executive job requires a person to be involved in executing the production of something, whether it is assisting a cameraman/woman in filming or designing an advert, or writing advert copy. The levels of responsibility differ completely.

The size of a business should give you an indication of the day-to-day level of responsibility of an executive. A large business with many executives in the same department is likely to have a clear structure for the responsibilities of each level, which will be clearly stated in a job description. It will usually involve being responsible for the work that you deliver and where necessary co-ordinating co-workers to ensure work is delivered to a good standard on time. There are unlikely to be people or budget management responsibilities. A small or medium sized business may only have one or two executives responsible for a broad range of work. In this scenario the responsibilities stated in the job description are likely to be the basis defining exactly what you are accountable for, but are not exhaustive of what you will be asked to deal with. There are likely to be budget management responsibilities which may come up on a project basis or as an ongoing task. There may also potentially be the requirement to train and possibly manage other team members. It is important to bear these differences in mind when applying for jobs as you need to find a job which meets your needs and as we have established an executive job could be just about anything!

When comparing smoke shops, both online and in-store, check out the merchant’s guarantee. The store should be willing to stand behind its cigars with a money-back guarantee. Knowing you can get your money back if you don’t like the cigar should make you a little quicker to try a new stick.

Get Advice

Get advice online from cigar advisors. These sites were created to provide smokers of premium cigars with useful and educational information. They also can help the novice smoker who is trying to find out what everyone is talking about.

They will literally show you how a 28 ring gauge cigar compares to a monster 70 gauge. They tell you which cigar styles are the most popular. And they list cigars several ways. One chart is based on its strength: mild, medium and full. Another feature lets you search for a cigar by brand.

Some sites carry reviews written by people who understand what goes into a good smoke. For example, Jed from ToastedFoot.com reviewed the Alec Bradley Sun Grown Robusto. He wrote that it “grabs your attention immediately, as the multicolored double bands pop against the dark Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. The Sungrown is smooth with no veins, has a well constructed cap, and is very firm.”

On the same page, professional cigar aficionado Gary Korb reviewed the same cigar, scoring it an 8.7, and saying, “Boasting a dark, oily wrapper and an ornate band, the Alec Bradley Sungrown Robusto looks similar to its Tempus and Overture cousins.

An attractive Brazilian Mata Fina leaf surrounds a blend of Nicaraguan Esteli and Jalapa, plus Columbian longfillers, with a Honduran binder. Moreover, this combination told me that the smoke was going to have some muscle behind it.”

For those of you who just read that review and don’t know what “longfillers” is or you’re not sure about the appeal of an “oily wrapper,” check out a glossary of cigar terms. Glossaries can be very useful in keeping you from sounding like a novice. And before you know it, you’ll know a bulk from a bunch.

Advice sites also feature bloggers who keep you up-to-date with new smokes coming out, cigar events on the horizon and lists of their favorite smokes.

Monster Sales

Look for sales or special packages put together by many cigar stores. This is often a smart way to try a new cigar at a reduced price. One example of this kind of deal is called “The Tantalizing Ten.” For about half of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, you get 10 world class cigars. This particular package included one of each:

CAO Cx2 Rob Natural (5 x 52)
Cohiba Robusto Natural (5 x 49)
Cuvee Rouge Robusto Natural (5 x 50)
Don Tomas Special Edition #300 Natural (5 x 50)
La Aurora Robusto Natural (5 x 50)
Oliva Serie G Robusto Natural (4 1/2 x 50)
Perdomo 10th Champagne Robusto Natural (5 x 54)
Plasencia Reserva Robusto Natural (4 3/4 x 52)
Rocky Patel Honduran Robusto Maduro (5 1/2 x 54)
Vintage 1990 Robusto Maduro (5 1/2 x 50)

This package features cigars from several countries and a variety of wrappers. One warning, the deals are limited. Once they are sold out, they are gone.

Cigar Auctions

Another way to get a premium cigar at a discounted price is through an online cigar auction. You have to register on the sites to bid. During one recent auction, a box of 20 of Rocky Patel’s “The Edge Toro” were up for bid. Toward the end of the daylong auction, the highest bid for these Honduran smokes was about lower than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

Special Packages

Many cigar stores take turns featuring different samplers of cigars. A recent sampler highlighted Mi Barrio Test Flight cigars. For under , you could try some of Don Pepin Garcia’s finest blends. They are all full-bodied cigars with earthiness, wood and sweet tobacco flavors. The sampler included two of each:

Mi Barrio El Acere Dark Natural (6 x 50)
Mi Barrio El Billetero Dark Natural (5 3/4 x 52)
Mi Barrio El Forro Dark Natural (6 1/8 x 50)
Mi Barrio El Puro Dark Natural (7 1/2 x 52)

The bottom line is there are good deals on great smokes. You just have to keep your eyes and your options open.

Joshua Correia is a freelance writer who writes about shopping and finding cigars online.

Includes replacement cartridges for about 1-2 weeks worth of smoking.
List Price:
Price: 145.99

Food Labelling
List Price: 49.0
Price: 35.34

The First Executives
List Price: 28.99
Price: 22.15

Highly automated production and logistics facilities require mechatronic drive solutions. This book describes in which way the industrial production and logistics work and shows the structure of the drive solutions required for this purpose. The functionality of the mechanical and electronic elements of a drive system including the software is described, and their basic dimensioning principles are explained. Furthermore the authors outline the engineering, reliability, and important aspects of the life cycle. The great number of applications within the fields of conveying and material handling technology in continuous and cycled production lines and for machining processes are divided into twelve drive solutions. They comprise the motor, the inverter with its software, the gearbox, and mechanical drive elements. The specific requirements and the functionality of these twelve solutions are presented. The authors focus on the energy conversion with controlled electric drive systems.
List Price:
Price: 129.00

The label still consists of just three basic components, a face material which is the surface you print on that ends up on the product or packaging, an adhesive layer that enables you to stick it on to the product or packaging and a backing material which enables you to handle the sticky label until you want to apply it.

What has changed enormously over the years is both the range and quality of all three components which now gives the end user endless possibilities for a label's use.

A huge range of face materials, both paper and synthetic come as standard now with acrylic, hot melt and solvent adhesive options for label applications ranging from address labels on cartons in blast freezers to batch code labels on electronic circuit boards which remain hot 24 hours a day. Adhesives of course can now be freezer grade, permanent, removable, repositionable etc etc etc. Backing materials have evolved slowly by comparison, with the basic choice of glassine paper or kraft paper over many years only recently joined by polypropolene films.

Despite all these changes, whether your requirement is a coloured product label, an address label, a barcode label, a blank label to go through a label printer or anything else for that matter, the user's requirement is exactly the same as it was 50 years ago. Does it look good and convey my message, does it stick to the product or packaging the way I want it to, can I get it when I want it and is the price acceptable for the quantity I want to buy?

Labels for Printers

Dial A Label is a label manufacturing company based in Knoxfield Victoria that has made it's mission to enable customers to always answer "yes" to these questions. By specializing in labels used through label printers, we are confident that we can provide a suitable label for any thermal, thermal transfer (printing from a therrmal ribbon) or laser printer requirement.

We hold an enormous range of labels and ribbons in stock for next day delivery. Rolls for industrial and desktop printers, fanfolded labels for print and restack use; A4 address label sheets for your laser printer and Dymo labels for your Dymo Labelwriter are all packed and ready to send.

With online ordering, an experienced and active customer service department and direct sales people available, setup and ordering procedures are quick and easy to establish. Because labels are produced in bulk and held, customers receive favourable rates for quantities that would traditionally incur much higher prices.

Dial a Label has many many years experience in the manufacture of self adhesive labels so are well able to distinguish between a fad and a genuine product improvement when it comes along. We never lose sight of this when we amend or expand our range.

That is why we are always happy to give a 100% guarantee, that if you buy our labels for a label printer, they will look good, they will stick as required, you will not be forced into unrealistic minimums and the price will be just right.