The Communities in Schools of North Carolina board of directors has named Pam Hartley president and CEO after a nationwide search led by Moss+Ross.

Hartley joins Communities in Schools from Marbles Kids Museum, where she was vice president.

“We are excited to have Pam join the team at CIS,” said board Chairman Blaine Morehead. “She brings a wealth of knowledge, but more importantly, she brings enthusiasm and passion for this work, and she understands the importance of the relationship between a caring adult and a student and how that relationship can be life-changing.”

Hartley will assume her role April 9. She will support a network of 22 statewide CIS affiliate organizations, as well as lead direct service work in 14 primarily rural communities across the state.

Hartley has more than two decades of experience leading innovative education initiatives, building community partnerships, and aligning efforts to strengthen program impact.

 “I’m honored to join Communities in Schools of North Carolina and the strong community of affiliate organizations and partners working together across the state to help our students succeed,” Hartley said. “Together, we can bring our communities’ strongest resources to our students who need them the most, helping them stay in school and achieve their full potential.”

Hartley joins the organization at a pivotal time in its history:

• Once a statewide training and technical support system for a network of independent affiliates, it now provides affiliate support as well as direct services to thousands of students in rural communities across the state.

• This fall, the organization launched programing to complement its existing work to reach more children and to improve the pipeline to graduation, postsecondary education and work. Both the Juvenile Resilience to Re-entry initiative and the College and Career readiness program complement the CIS model work already in place across the state.

• The most recent data validated by RTI International shows that the statewide network of Communities in Schools affiliates have served 308 schools across 40 counties serving a total of 162,813 students. Of the students served, 16,515 at-risk students received intensive one-on-one or group supports to drive improved outcomes in the areas of attendance, behavior and coursework.

• In 2019, the organization will mark its 30th anniversary and celebrate its impact on three generations of students in the state.

 For more information about CISNC, visit www.cisnc.org.