Washington, D.C.- KaBOOM!, a ten year-old national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, appoints Bruce Bowman as its first-ever Chief Operating Officer effective immediately.

KaBOOM! is well-known for its model of social enterprise that has taken the organization to scale in terms of its staff, budget, revenue and impact. By bringing on Bowman, the organization is preparing to take its next quantum leap by complimenting the skills of Co-Founder and CEO Darell Hammond with those of an inside, day-to-day manager of its current strategy, people and processes.

"Over the past ten years KaBOOM! has grown from a tiny non-profit with less than three employees (2 of them co-founders) to a 75-person, four office, $19.5 million dollar organization that brings the power of play to hundreds of communities every year," says Hammond. "Bruce is coming on board at a time when KaBOOM! is experiencing tremendous growth in all areas of the organization. His leadership will help take the organization to the next level in terms of our impact, energy and the scope of our work," he said.

Bowman joins the organization from Wild Oats Corporation where he served as the Senior Vice President of Business Development. Prior to that, Bowman worked as the Chief Operating Officer for Ben & Jerry's where he was introduced to Darell Hammond and the two began working towards a partnership. As a result, Ben & Jerry's joined KaBOOM! to build eight playgrounds across the country, from the 2000 to 2003, while also introducing KaBERRY KaBOOM!, an ice cream flavor dedicated to the organization with a percentage of the proceeds going to support the KaBOOM! vision. Shortly after leaving Ben & Jerry's in 2003, Bowman became further involved in KaBOOM!, signing on as an active member of Board of Directors.

As COO, Bowman will work with Hammond to improve upon the organization's internal procedures and processes. In addition to using the KaBOOM! formula for performance reporting linking to budgets and outcome, Bowman will also assume tactical responsibility for implementing the KaBOOM! "Going to Scale" strategy and reporting on its outcome.

"KaBOOM! has incredible plans for the future and an amazing track record of success and past accomplishments to measure against," says Bowman. "As a member of the Board of Directors and during my work at Ben and Jerry's, I've watched KaBOOM! grow bigger, better and make a greater impact every year, but never has there been a more exciting and important time for me to join KaBOOM! in a leadership role. As a strong believer in the KaBOOM! vision, I'm committed to driving us forward until we have realized this vision," he said.

About KaBOOM!

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2006, KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the past decade, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct nearly 1,000 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including a Web portal and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org or call (202) 659-0215.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children, particularly the 16 million American children living in poverty, get the active play they need to become healthy and successful adults. KaBOOM! has been a powerful champion for play since its founding in 1996, working with partners to build, improve, and open more than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1,000,000 volunteers and serve more than 6,600,000 children. KaBOOM! creates and catalyzes great places to play; inspires, empowers and leads play advocates; and elevates the societal conversation about the importance of play in children’s lives. For more information, visit kaboom.org/act.

More from KaBOOM!