Friends:

It is with a great deal of gratitude that I announce I am stepping down as CEO of the Partnership for Children and Youth this coming summer.

More than 20 years ago, together with some incredible co-conspirators, I took the big leap of starting this organization, not having any idea what an adventure it would be. Like many founders, for me this began when I became inspired by something I experienced and needed to take action. This inspiration came during my time serving in President Clinton's Administration at the U.S. Department of Education, during which I was assigned to visit grantees of a new federal program called 21st Century Community Learning Centers. I visited urban and rural communities in the west where federal grants were enabling community organizations to create hubs of learning and enrichment for kids who had nowhere else to be when they weren't in school. As a kid who benefited greatly from the local Girls Club, sports, and other opportunities that helped me find my way, I was instantly moved by the power of this work and I wanted to dive in all the way.

Over the past two decades there have been a lot of thrilling moments, just as many disappointments, a huge amount of learning, and—most of all—the building of so many incredible relationships with the people engaged in this work in California and across the country. I'm so lucky to have been surrounded at every phase by staff and partners who hold so much expertise and commitment, who helped me grow and allowed me the space to think about how the puzzle pieces of our systems serving kids interact, and to look for gaps in the system and opportunities to innovate.

I'm incredibly proud of the instrumental role PCY has played in building California's largest-in-the-nation system of expanded learning programs through our efforts to influence and link on-the-ground practice with policymaking. I'm proud that we've led first-in-the-nation innovations such as our Summer Matters Campaign; supporting the alignment of social-emotional learning in school and afterschool through Expanded Learning 360-365; and building the capacity of public housing to offer quality expanded learning programs to resident children through HousED. I'm proud of our role in developing and housing the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3), a coalition of incredible program providers and partners across the state who bring critical field and community voice to our statewide advocacy. I'm proud of all the tools, research, and influence documents we've created that have significantly contributed to the field at large. I'm proud of all the ways we've educated leaders across different levels of the system about why expanded learning matters.

My departure from this role comes at a surreal moment for our field, with an expansion of public funding for afterschool and summer programs beyond our wildest dreams. I'm excited to support this next phase with a different hat, and will be taking my time in the coming months to figure out what that will be. PCY has an amazing team and a big network of partners, and will continue to do extraordinary work improving opportunities for young people across our state. Stay tuned for more details on our transition process, CEO job posting, and more. Until then, thank you for the great adventure—what an honor it has been.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Peck
President & CEO

On behalf of the PCY Board, I want to express our admiration and gratitude for Jennifer and the fantastic team she has built. Through advocacy and training, the small but mighty PCY team makes a difference for children and families in California every day.

We cannot overstate Jennifer's leadership and influence in the field, which is well known and sought after. As she notes, she has done her work over the years by being open to learning and by building relationships—attributes and skills that have allowed the organization to grow and adapt to meet the current moment. And we are at quite a moment. After 20 years, we will make a transition to a new leader who will take the helm of a strong organization ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of our field.

We are in awe of Jennifer and all she has brought, and look forward to honoring her properly this spring. In the meantime, be on the lookout for the job posting and help us find our next amazing CEO.

With gratitude,

Shelly Masur
Board Chair