Foundation for Early Learning Appoints Mark Crawford as Interim Executive Director

Seattle, WA, January 10, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Board of Trustees of Foundation for Early Learning (FEL) announced today the appointment of Mark Crawford as Interim Executive Director, effective immediately. Crawford brings over 25 years of experience in managing transition and successfully leading growth in both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

“We are very pleased to welcome Mark as Interim Executive Director of Foundation for Early Learning,” Don Stark, Chair of the Board of Trustees, stated. “His experience managing transition coupled with his passion for improving the lives and futures of children make him a great choice for this position.”

Crawford has spent the majority of his career in the non-profit sector with an emphasis on serving children and working in the arts. He served as Managing Director at Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR), and Associate Managing Director at A Contemporary Theatre (Seattle, WA) between 1993 and 2002. He also served as Executive Director at the Committee for Children (Seattle, WA) between 2003 and 2007, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Seattle based Talaris Institute in 2008 and as Interim Executive Director of the Bellevue Arts Museum from 2008 through 2011.

As Interim Executive Director at Foundation for Early Learning, Crawford will be working closely with the Board and staff to effectively launch the organization’s exciting new programs and initiatives. He will be responsible for all executive functions of the organization, oversee the day to day operations, and work with external stakeholders to further the Foundation’s mission of “Finding and fostering opportunities that support kindergarten-readiness for young children, birth to age five, in Washington State.”

“I am so pleased and excited to join the Foundation for Early Learning team at this time. The Foundation has been an important force in the development of statewide strategies and programs for early education. The commitment, passion, experience and expertise of the Board and staff as well as our past work create opportunities and resources to move into the next phase of achieving our vision of all children entering kindergarten ready to succeed.”

About Foundation for Early Learning
Founded in 2000, The Foundation for Early Learning grew out of Governor Locke’s Commission on Early Learning and was started with a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In its first decade, the Foundation has played a key role in developing-community based initiatives that support parents as their children’s first teachers. It has invested nearly 7 million in early learning services and networks and in support of its mission of “finding and fostering opportunities for kindergarten-readiness for young children, birth to age five, in Washington State.”