Next Door President Keintz to retire; Board names Tracey Sparrow as successor
Dr. Sparrow’s deep expertise in early education and her focus on creating a better future for at-risk youth makes her ideally suited to lead Next Door.
Tracey Sparrow. Photo courtesy of Next Door.
Milwaukee – (August 27, 2015) – Next Door, the leading provider of early education and support services in Central City Milwaukee, announced today that President Carol Keintz, Ed.D will retire on September 3 after seven years with the agency.
Following an extensive nation-wide search, the Board of Directors has hired Tracey Sparrow, Ed.D to succeed Keintz. Dr. Sparrow’s deep expertise in early education and her focus on creating a better future for at-risk youth makes her ideally suited to lead an organization so vital to Milwaukee’s future.
Under Dr. Keintz’s leadership, Next Door has grown into a nationally-renown education resource for at-risk children and families. Keintz’s initiatives include: the successful expansion of Head Start Programs; a high-performing K4-K5 charter school; health collaborations with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; integrated mental health services for children; “Books for Kids” that collects and distributes over 100,000 books to children all over the city; and most recently a new partnership with 10 child care centers, where Next Door will be sharing their nationally-recognized early education expertise.
“Carol’s commitment and genuine dedication to our at-risk children and families has helped create a strong legacy for Milwaukee that will continue to flourish,” said Next Door Board Chair Tom Arenberg. “On behalf of our community and the families we serve, we thank Carol for everything she has done to positively impact thousands of childrens’ lives over the years.”
As incoming president, Sparrow brings with her experience in urban education and development. She received her Doctoral degree in Education, Leadership and Service from Cardinal Stritch University and a Master’s in Organization Theory from UW- Milwaukee. She is particularly focused on urban schools and has authored articles and presented on topics such as “Voices of African American Males” and “Urban School Partnership.” Sparrow’s prior positions as a founder and president of a Milwaukee multi-million dollar budgeted charter school and vice president for Children’s Programs at the Milwaukee Center for Independence suit her well for this position. She teaches college courses both in Nonprofit Management and Issues in Education.
“Without question, Tracey is an excellent fit for Next Door and is well positioned to continue to build on the legacy and quality programming delivered by Next Door,” said Dr. Keintz. “She is a strong partner in the community and she has already established herself as an advocate and thought leader for improving early education and services for Milwaukee’s at-risk children and families. It will be exciting to watch how far she will take Next Door in the future.”
About Next Door
Next Door is a leading provider of early education and support services in Milwaukee. Since 1969, Next Door has helped alleviate poverty and fight illiteracy so at-risk children are ready for school and ready for life. Through a high-quality educational environment, parent engagement, and a focus on family mental and physical wellness, we currently serve over 2,000 children, families and individuals annually. Next Door education programs: Early Head Start, traditional Head Start/Head Start Charter School, and Educare School of Milwaukee for prenatal to 5 years. Support services: Books for Kids, Adult Basic Education, and Fatherhood Enrichment.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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Congratulations to President Carol Keintz on her retirement, and to Dr. Tracey Sparrow for her selection as her replacement. I agree that Tracey is ideally suited to lead Next Door !