The Kent Forward initiative, in support of Kent County schools, has hired former bank executive Linda Dawson as its executive director. Dawson will coordinate the initiative’s volunteer and community-relations functions–working closely with the Superintendent and administrators of Kent County Public Schools and with the leadership of the initiative that Dixon Valve CEO Dick Goodall launched earlier this year in partnership with Washington College president Mitchell Reiss and Chester River Health System president Jim Ross.
As the heads of the largest employers in Kent County, the three executives have invited other business, nonprofit leaders, and concerned residents to work with them to “enhance the educational, economic and social wellbeing of Kent County.”
The first priority is education: to work with the schools and make Kent County one of the top five performing systems in Maryland within five years.
Dawson brings extensive experience and leadership in business management to her new job. She served as branch manager and then assistant vice president of PNC Bank in Chestertown from 2000 to 2012.
Dawson also serves on the boards of two local organizations, Shared Opportunity Services and Character Counts Kent County. She played an active roll in PNC’s “Grow Up Great” program, which enables employees to volunteer at early childhood centers.
The Kent Forward project is a good fit for her skills and her commitment to the Kent County community.
“I’m excited about this challenge,” says Dawson, a native of Hazleton, Pa., whose daughter graduated from Kent County High School in 2003. “My career has been all about leading teams and providing customer service. This is the ultimate team—the entire community—serving the ultimate customer, our children;”
“I plan to work hard to move us as quickly as possible to achieve that first goal—to be one of the top five performing school districts in Maryland within five years. It’s an audacious goal, but a necessary one to move our children and our community forward,” she said..
Goodall adds that the Kent Forward initiative will succeed only by engaging the entire community.
“We have to change the culture in this county, from one of neglect and apathy toward the education of our young people to one that realizes how dramatically we are all affected by how well our schools reach their goals.”
For more information about Kent Forward email to [email protected] or call 410-708-6218.
Holly Geddes says
I wish you and Kent Forward all success.