SCI Hires Flagship Program Director: New Position to Manage AmeriCorps Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007
Contact: Mike Sances
781.935.5820 or mike [at] socialcapitalinc [dot] org

SCI Hires Flagship Program Director
New Position to Manage AmeriCorps Program

Woburn-based nonprofit Social Capital Inc. (SCI) announced today that it has hired Crystal Johnson as Flagship Program Director.

“I’m pleased to announce that we have hired Crystal Johnson as our Flagship Program Director,” said David Crowley, President of SCI. “In this position Crystal will assume ultimate responsibility for our new AmeriCorps program and provide oversight to all of our flagship program sites. She will also be directly responsible for the SCI Woburn programming.”

Ms. Johnson brings extensive human service management experience and community leadership to the newly created position. Most recently, she managed the streetworkers program for the Boston Community Centers and a program for African American students at Brookline High.

“My background is in community activism and program management, primarily working with youth and families,” said Johnson. “I’ve done a lot of work doing outreach to young people and families and providing them with services.”

Having worked in a variety of management positions with community organizations, state and local government, and education, Johnson said she was looking forward to joining an organization like SCI, which places special emphasis on leveraging partnerships with existing community organizations to build social capital. She also cited her experience as an activist as preparing her to build social capital in the communities SCI serves.

“Being an activist means that you have to be active in something,” she said. “It doesn’t mean being at every single community meeting, but it does mean being aware of the issues, informing other people of the issues, and building communities and connecting people.”

Raised in Springfield, MA, Ms. Johnson is a lifelong Massachusetts resident and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has a Masters in Applied Educational Science–School Psychology from Northeastern University, and now lives in Dorchester.

SCI announced in July that it had been awarded a federal AmeriCorps grant, funded through the Massachusetts Service Alliance, to recruit 20 full-time, stipended volunteers who will serve in the Woburn, Dorchester, and Lynn communities. Interested applicants should contact americorps@socialcapitalinc.org.

Founded in 2002, the mission of SCI is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. We envision a nation where individuals are strongly connected to their neighbors and play an active role in shaping the destiny of their communities. This increase in ‘social capital’ will result in communities that are safer, healthier and more vital.