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Foundation 65 has added five new members to its board and is launching a seach for a new executive director.

The new board members are:

  • Larry Brown is lead software developer at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. He received his BA in Computer Information Systems from Western Michigan University. Brown and his wife have lived in Evanston for over 15 years, and he is a volunteer coach for youth soccer, baseball, and basketball.
  • Andrea Ford is senior director, administration and strategic planning at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. She previously was a senior vice president at The Northern Trust Company. She received a bachelor’s degree in arts management, and an executive education certificate in nonprofit management from Northwestern University. She has served on the board of the Musical Offering and as chair for the Evanston Chicago-Main TIF Advisory Committee.
  • Kimberly Mahal Laude, a teacher and teaching artist, specializes in the Kuumba Arts curriculum, which teaches the history and customs of various cultures through its traditional art forms. She has been a performer and artistic staff with the Tamboula Ethnic Dance Company, the Pintig Cultural Group and the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
  • Alicia Salinas and her family moved to Evanston from North Carolina in 2007. She has been an active volunteer in District 65 schools since her daughters started school. She has been a fluency tutor, a kindergarten literacy partner and a books and breakfast tutor and summer reading buddy. She received her Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
  • Steve Zehr is a mechanical engineer focused on infrastructure and energy enhancement upgrades to commercial and institutional buildings and previously taught science at a public high school in New Orleans, Louisiana where he served as chair of the Science Department and founded an outdoor program that conducted canoeing, camping and hiking outings. He has served on the board of Cherry Preschool. He has a bachelor’s degree from Goshen College and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin.


New board members Alicia Salinas and Steve Zehr.

The new executive director will be responsible for fundraising and donor relations; grant management; day-to-day operations of the organization including supervision of one part-time office manager; cultivation of the organization’s volunteer base including the Board of Directors; marketing and communications; and financial oversight.

The Executive Director serves as F65’s most visible representative in the community, regularly engaging with District 65 leadership and serving on various community committees.

Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to EDresumes@foundation65.org by July 31. A complete job description and application information are available on the Foundation 65 website.

Foundation 65 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises and grants funds for literacy and arts projects that expand, enrich, and complement educational opportunities for the students, staff, and community in Evanston-Skokie District 65.

Foundation 65 is an independent operating foundation with its own volunteer board and funds. Since 2008, Foundation 65 has invested over $2,500,000 in
projects and programs making an impact at every school in the district.

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