WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Girls Inc. DC Board of Directors has hired Dr. Heather Hairston as the organization's next Executive Director, effective October 11, 2021. Dr. Hairston brings over 20 years of experience as an educator and leader in DC Public Schools in Wards 5, 6 and 7 and she recently received her Ed.D. in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
"Heather's hands-on experience as an educator and leader in DC public schools along with her research around adolescent Black girls is a powerful combination that aligns perfectly with the key pillars of the Girls Inc. Experience – developing trusted mentoring relationships, in girls-only environments through research-based programming," said Girls Inc. DC Board Chair, Joi Chaney. "Heather is the leader we need to build upon the successful legacy of Girls Inc. DC and we look forward to tapping her experience and talents as we work to build empowered girls and an equitable Washington, DC for girls and teens."
Dr. Hairston's hiring follows a 3-month long board-driven national executive search. Her leadership teaching and serving in DC public schools and building partnerships with local business and community leaders will move Girls Inc. DC forward in its mission to achieve generational impact, changing life trajectories and advancing racial and gender equity for girls in the DC area.
"I'm absolutely excited and humbled by this opportunity to continue my life's work in serving girls in the metropolitan DC area. The opportunity to make an impact in the community is incredibly personal work for me. The pandemic took a toll on many girls and young women in the DC area, and when our programming paused, we know that some girls had no other place to go for the support that Girls Inc. DC provided. We must be committed to creating a world where girls and young women have the support they need to determine their future. Our girls and young women are ready to lead and with the right support, we will be there to encourage them. I'm excited and ready to build partnerships with the local community and restart our programming so that we can inspire under-resourced girls in the DC area to be strong, smart, and bold."
Born and raised in the metropolitan Washington, DC area, Dr. Hairston holds a B.A. in Sociology from Hampton University, a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and a master's in Education Leadership and Supervision from Trinity University. She serves as a Board Member at EcoRise and is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
About Girls Inc. DC
Our vision: empowered girls in an equitable society. For more than 60 years, Girls Inc. has inspired girls in our community to be strong, smart, and bold. As one of 79 Girls Inc. affiliates in the U.S., we advance girls' rights and opportunities through direct service and advocacy, based in the belief that every girl deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and independent. Girls Inc. DC was incorporated in 2004 and in 2010, was the first Girls Inc. affiliate in the U.S. to be located on a college campus, Howard University. Girls Inc. DC programs have included after school, spring break camps, STEM and leadership academies and the Fortune Leadership Group. From 2014 to 2019, Girls Inc. DC served more than 1,300 girls in the metropolitan DC area. Girls Inc. DC plans to resume signature programming in the Winter of 2021. For more information, visit http://www.girlsincdc.org
Media Contact
Joi Chaney, Girls Inc. DC, +1 407-579-8126, [email protected]
SOURCE Girls Inc. DC
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