Heights Foundation Announces New Board Members

Fort Myers, FL, January 20, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Caryn Clark, Orv Curry and John Grey have been elected to the Heights Foundation Board of Directors. Each serves a three-year term beginning this month. The Heights Foundation supports the Heights Center, a place for education, opportunity, and enrichment. The Center’s mission is to promote family and community development, support education, health and wellness, and provide the benefits of enrichment, expressive and cultural arts in the Harlem Heights neighborhood.

Caryn Clark is a voice over actress with national television and radio credits. She received a BA in English from the University of Florida and has lived in Fort Myers for over 13 years. Clark has mentored young women Girls Going Places and is a member of the 20th Judicial Circuit’s Grievance Committee for The Florida Bar. She spent nine years as an active member of the Junior League of Fort Myers, serving on the Board of Directors in a number of roles. In 2009, she was recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumna by the University of Florida, and in 2012, was the Key Note Speaker at University of Florida’s Outstanding Young Alumni Awards. Clark has been volunteering as a Homework Helper in the Heights Foundation after school program for the past two years.

Orv Curry works as an Information Technology Manager for BB&T. Originally from Illinois, Curry moved to Southwest Florida in 1988. He received his AA from Edison College and his BS in Computer Information Systems from Florida Gulf Coast University. Curry was a member of the United Way Allocations team for ten years, serving as team leader for three years. He has been a board member of the Alliance for the Arts since 2003 and the Fort Myers Flying Club since 2011. Curry, his wife and son live in Fort Myers.

John Grey is managing partner of John Grey Painting. He and his family moved to Fort Myers Beach in 1967. After attending business school at Youngstown State University, majoring in Financial Management and Economics, John returned to Fort Myers Beach in 1972 to continue the painting business he began in college. John and wife Patty have two sons who work in the family’s business on Sanibel Island. John has been active in the community as a little league coach and Boy Scout leader. He is the 2012-2013 president of the Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva.

“Caryn, Orv and John bring a wealth of experience and skill to the Foundation,” said Kathryn Kelly, President and CEO of The Heights Foundation. “We eagerly welcome them to our Board as we continue our mission to build strong, self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights community.”

About the Heights Foundation and the Heights Center

The Heights Center, supported by the Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment. We work to build strong, self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. As a 501(c)3 grassroots organization, the Center’s mission is to promote family and community development, support education, health and wellness, and provide the benefits of enrichment, expressive and cultural arts. The Heights Center will be completed this month and grand opening events will take place in February 2013.

Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community. Approximately 1,200 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 55% Hispanic, 36% African-American, and 9% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.