Dear Friends,
As the school year begins, we’d like to share an important update regarding ASAP’s leadership. Due to personal reasons, Sara Morningstar has resigned from her role as ASAP’s Executive Director. We are grateful for her service.
To ensure that operations continue to run smoothly as we seek a permanent replacement, the board has named Christopher Barrett Politan, principal of nonprofit consulting firm Give, Get, Grow, as ASAP’s Interim Executive Director. Christopher brings over 25 years of experience in nonprofit strategy, including a specialization in change management.
We expect to announce the search for a permanent ED shortly and anticipate this process to take anywhere from 3-6 months. We appreciate your patience as we take this time to identify the right person to guide ASAP’s next chapter.
We recognize that this has already been a year of change at ASAP and acknowledge that this most recent departure may come with questions and concerns. We are confident in the abilities and commitments of our incredibly dedicated board and staff, many of whom have significant tenure with the organization. Their institutional knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm for serving our city’s youth have been and will continue to be our most critical resource in seeing us through this transition.
In the meantime, ASAP will continue to prepare for the upcoming school year and do what we do best—pivot, adapt, and support our community, even in the face of ongoing challenges. We very much see this moment as an opportunity, and in fact, the 2023-24 school year proved that ASAP can and will thrive in moments of transition. All told, ASAP increased the number of youth served this year by 5% and continued to expand programming in ASAP’s high priority locations, including neighborhood public schools and communities with high rates of gun violence.
In closing, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to working together to help Philly kids reach new heights—keeping them safe, engaged, and inspired to learn, all year long. Be sure to check out our full roster of club leader trainings, and get ready for kickoff events like Demonstration Debate on October 30!
In partnership,
Your friends at ASAP/After School Activities Partnerships
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