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JCPenney Afterschool Fund Announces Board Expansion
JCPenney Afterschool Fund Announces Board Expansion
Published 10-23-06
Submitted by JCPenney Company
PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2006--The JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a charitable organization committed to providing access to safe and enriching afterschool programs for America's underserved youth, announces the appointments of Jan Hart Black, a leader in the Dallas business and civic communities, and Karen Pittman, a noted author and sociologist, to its Board of Directors. Both come to the Fund as the Board's first external directors with substantial experience in leading non-profit organizations and educational issues nationwide.
Michael Theilmann, chairman of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund said, "Jan and Karen bring diverse experience in leading strategic community initiatives which will be invaluable to the growth and future direction of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. These highly accomplished professionals strengthen our Board with their wealth of expertise in elevating quality of life programs. We welcome them and look forward to their contributions as the JCPenney Afterschool Fund continues to serve as a leader in championing and shaping the afterschool movement."
Jan Hart Black
Jan Black, a certified public accountant with extensive experience in financial development, serves as chair of the Board's audit committee. Black currently serves as president of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. She previously held several positions of increasing responsibility with the City of Dallas, including comptroller, director of budget and city manager.
Additionally, Black serves on boards of the Dallas Museum of Natural History, State Fair of Texas, Circle Ten Council of Boy Scouts, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Southwestern Medical Foundation and the Southern Methodist University Tate Lecture series.
Karen Pittman
As a recognized leader in youth development, Karen Pittman will help direct the JCPenney Afterschool Fund toward collaborative opportunities with key national organizations and coalitions to promote the need for supporting America's youth. Pittman, who is also a member of the Board's audit committee, serves as executive director of the Forum for Youth Investment and president of Youth Impact Strategies, Inc. Her previous experience includes positions at the Children's Defense Fund, the Academy for Educational Development and the President's Crime Prevention Council under President Clinton.
Pittman serves as the vice chair of the board for the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation and is the incoming chair of the National Collaboration for Youth. She is the 2002 recipient of the National Commission for African American Education Augustus F. Hawkins Service Award and the 2003 American Youth Policy Forum Decade of Service Award for Sustained Visionary Leadership in Advancing Youth Policy.
Other directors of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund Board include Ken Hicks, president and chief merchandising officer of JCPenney; Michael Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of JCPenney; and Michael Taxter, executive vice president and director of JCPenney stores.
JCPenney Afterschool Fund
Recent studies show that 14.3 million children in the United States are unsupervised after school between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Studies also show that youth are at greater risk of involvement in crime, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors during these hours.
In 2001, in an effort to address this critical issue, JCPenney created the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a charitable organization committed to providing access to safe and enriching afterschool programs for America's underserved youth. Since its inception, the charity has contributed over $22 million to afterschool programs nationwide, and this year alone more than 15,000 children will benefit from JCPenney Afterschool Fund grants.
The growing problem of inadequate afterschool supervision for America's youth cuts across all ethnic, income and demographic boundaries, and positive solutions have the potential to affect society in a meaningful way. High-quality afterschool programs keep children safe and help to produce life-changing, lasting benefits, including healthier lifestyles, improved social skills, and enhanced academic performance.
Copyright Business Wire 2006
