AchieveMpls Names Pam Costain as President and CEO

MINNEAPOLIS, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pam Costain has been named the new President and CEO of AchieveMpls.  In this role, she will work closely with the leadership of the Minneapolis Public Schools, the Board of Directors of AchieveMpls, and business and community leaders to help ensure that Minneapolis students excel academically and are prepared for school, work and life. Currently a Director on the Minneapolis Board of Education, Ms. Costain will step down from the School Board when she joins AchieveMpls in late June. "I am thrilled to accept this position and to continue the excellent partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools," says Ms. Costain. "I look forward to working with incoming Superintendent Johnson and Mayor Rybak to build a strong school system in a city that supports and nurtures young people."

Costain brings 22 years of experience in non-profit management and fundraising, as well as expertise in the field of public education policy and governance. She was Executive Director of the Resource Center of the Americas for fourteen years, and one of the founders of both Wellstone Action and Parents United for Public Education. "After a comprehensive search, the AchieveMpls Board has selected Pam Costain as President and CEO," says Maureen Bazinet Beck, Chair of AchieveMpls' Board of Directors. "We are excited by her passion for public education and her understanding of the needs of students and families in Minneapolis. We look forward to her joining us in June to begin working with Superintendent-designee Bernadeia Johnson and Mayor RT Rybak to engage the community to help students succeed in the Minneapolis Public Schools."

Costain first came to Minnesota in 1968 to attend Carleton College, where she received her BA in Urban Studies. She later received her Master's degree in Education from the University of Minnesota. She is married with two grown children who continue to live and work in Minneapolis. Both daughters are graduates of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

About AchieveMpls

AchieveMpls is a strategic non-profit partner designated by the Minneapolis Public Schools to ensure students are prepared for school, work and life. We believe that all students can learn, but need the support of the greater community to become productive members of society. Public education needs the involvement and investment of businesses, community organizations and individuals to provide a solid foundation for a healthy democracy. AchieveMpls offers a unique set of skills which complement those of the Minneapolis Public Schools in creating the learning environments and providing the enrichment opportunities necessary to ensure that all students succeed in school and become productive members of society.

SOURCE AchieveMpls