Aim High Executive Director Announces Retirement After 35 Years of Leadership

SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alec Lee, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aim High, today announced his retirement after 35 years leading the San Francisco based nonprofit. Alec will retire at the end of 2021. Aim High's Board of Trustees has retained Koya Partners to hire a new Executive Director by the Fall of 2021.

Alec Lee co-founded Aim High with Eleanor McBride in 1986. Aim High is a free, multi-year summer learning and enrichment program that operates in 18 locations across the Bay Area, Napa and Tahoe.

"It has been an honor for me to work with the Aim High community for 35 years," said Alec Lee, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aim High. "If someone had told me back in 1986 when Eleanor McBride and I first co-founded Aim High, that it would be where it is today, I'd be stunned. It has gone so far beyond what I could have imagined."   

More than 15,000 middle school students have graduated from the Aim High program, and more than 4,000 educators have found inspiration and professional development at Aim High. A majority of Aim High participants are students of color, live at poverty or low-income levels, and will be the first generation in their family to graduate from college. The research and data show that the Aim High model works—97% of Aim High alumni enroll in college compared to 52% of low-income students nationally.

Aim High is the only nonprofit to twice receive the Excellence in Summer Learning Award from the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA). Alec Lee has been recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change, and as a recipient of the San Francisco Foundation's Community Leadership Award.

"On behalf of the Aim High Board of Trustees, I would like to thank Alec Lee for his over 35 years of leadership and service to Aim High. Alec and his team of staff and teachers have created a model for middle school education that is proven and works," said Bill Mellin, President of Aim High's Board of Trustees. "From the beginning, Alec has focused on nurturing the power and potential of middle school students from low-income communities, and to close the opportunity gap between low-income students and others."

Summer is now recognized as a critical piece in our nation's recovery effort from COVID-19 and as leaders in summer learning, Aim High is at the forefront of this effort. Over the next nine months, Alec will continue to actively lead Aim High, preparing for its 36th summer of operation and focus on strategic priorities to provide a smooth transition for our next Executive Director.

The new Executive Director will be stepping into an organization that has all the key pieces in place to expand its impact. This includes a talented staff, a highly professional board, a strong financial base, a fine-tuned curriculum and a stellar reputation. For more information on the search process or to apply, please visit Aim High's website: www.aimhigh.org

About Aim High
At Aim High, students with limited options unlock their limitless potential. Our multi-year summer enrichment program empowers middle schoolers from low-income neighborhoods, igniting their love of learning and propelling them to and through high school to college. Grounded in a welcoming community where every kid feels seen and supported, Aim High gives students the confidence to succeed in high school and beyond.

Aim High operates in San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, Novato, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Napa, San Rafael and Tahoe/Truckee.

For more information, visit: www.aimhigh.org

SOURCE Aim High

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https://aimhigh.org