New President and Vice President Have Extensive Roots in the Stamford Community
STAMFORD, Conn. (May 7, 2019) — Stamford Cradle to Career (SC2C) has announced that new leaders are taking the helm. Stamford Cradle to Career is a city-wide partnership whose mission is to collectively align community resources to ensure equity and excellence in education, career, and life. United Way of Western Connecticut serves as the backbone organization for SC2C and in this capacity acts as both a major investor and the employer for the initiative’s staff.
Bridget Fox was named President of the partnership. Bridget has lived for 15 years in Stamford, and she has been involved in Stamford Cradle to Career since its inception, helping to launch the Community Task Force and establish the Investors Network. Since 2012 she has worked for United Way of Western Connecticut, most recently as Chief Impact Officer. In that role, she has managed the annual distribution of approximately $1 million in grant funds to nonprofits in United Way’s 15-town region. She also cultivated new business relationships and major donors. She will maintain the title of Chief Impact Officer and retain some of those responsibilities going forward. Bridget worked for seven years for the City of Stamford in the Mayor’s Office, under Mayors Malloy and Pavia. As School Readiness Liaison and Special Assistant to the Mayor, she oversaw the City’s $3 million School Readiness Grant from the State of Connecticut. Her responsibilities also included communications and special projects. Bridget holds a BA from Loyola University in Maryland and earned an MPA from Suffolk University in Boston. She and her husband Dan live in Stamford with their three children. Lauren Scopaz Daunais was named Vice President, Strategy and Operations. Lauren has lived in Stamford for 10 years, where she has been an active member of the First Presbyterian Church and in her son’s school PTO. She comes to Stamford Cradle to Career after spending more than 11 years as a member of the senior leadership team at Harlem Children’s Zone. As Director of Strategic Initiatives, she led Harlem Children’s Zone’s cross organizational projects, including the planning and construction of a $100 million school and community center. She also built a performance measurement system to develop staff data analysis skills and a continuous learning mindset. Before working at Harlem Children’s Zone, she designed a community service program at Horizons for Homeless Children and was involved in strategy consulting at the Bridgespan Group and Bain & Company. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College.
“We’re thrilled that such a highly qualified team will be leading this initiative into its next phase,” said Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools Tamu Lucero. “Bridget and Lauren bring renewed energy to Cradle to Career, and we look forward to our continued work and all we will accomplish together.”
“Stamford is a community steeped in resources with expertise in addressing the root causes that contribute to the Achievement Gap that prevents so many of our children from achieving their academic potential,” said Family Centers’ CEO Bob Arnold. “By aligning the public schools, local government, and the nonprofit sector, Cradle to Career has fostered an organic culture of collaboration focused on ensuring that Stamford’s children and families gain the tools they need for long-term success. With new leadership in place, Cradle to Career is primed to make a major impact on bridging that Achievement Gap.”
Stamford Cradle to Career is a collective impact partnership based on the nationally recognized StriveTogether Framework. Its mission is to collectively align community resources to ensure equity and excellence in education, for every child, from cradle to career. Stamford is one of over 65 communities in the country that have adapted the StriveTogether framework with the purpose of improving educational and social outcomes for all children.
Left, Bridget Fox is the new President of Stamford Cradle to Career. She has lived in Stamford for 15 years and has been involved in Cradle to Career since its inception. Right,Lauren Scopaz Daunais was named Vice President, Strategy and Operations of Stamford Cradle to Career. A 10-year resident of Stamford, she comes to the initiative after 11 years in a leadership role at Harlem Children's Zone.
ABOUT STAMFORD CRADLE TO CAREER
Stamford Cradle to Career (SC2C) is a collective impact partnership with a solid and committed cross-sector collaboration that is based on the nationally recognized StriveTogether Cradle to Career Framework in creating a community-wide partnership. It is a road map to change and a new way for community stakeholders to work together. The overarching goal of Stamford Cradle to Career is to collectively align community resources to ensure that all youth succeed in education, career and life because successful children lead to a vibrant and thriving community. The partnership convenes over one hundred volunteers from the community, non-profit agencies, Stamford Public Schools, the City of Stamford, and the business community to create, align, implement, assess, and grow interventions that support the educational success of children and their families. United Way of Western Connecticut is serving as the anchor and backbone entity providing management and fiscal support for the partnership. For more information about the StriveTogether Framework, visit www.strivetogether.org. For more information about SC2C, visit www.stamfordc2c.org.