Ingrid Whitley, the new president and CEO of the Park City Education Foundation, had some skin in the Park City education game even before taking the mantle.
As a Park City local and the mother of a child who in a few years will be preschool age, the work she’ll begin doing this week is personal to her.
The nonprofit organization collects donations feeds them into Park City School District programs and often cites the statistic that 96% of the education tax dollars collected within the district are redispersed throughout the state. While the disparity between median household incomes in Park City compared to less fortunate areas of the state helps show why this 96% is reallocated, the nonprofit’s website explains this reallocation system prevents local schools from having the funds they need.
Now, after former President Abby McNulty took the foundation from raising about $50,000 annually to over $2 million, Whitley looks forward to her turn at the wheel.
“I went to public school K through 12, and I’m also a former public educator, so I kind of know firsthand the power of education to transform lives,” she said. “I want to just ensure that every child within Park City School District benefits equitably from their education and is ultimately able to pursue the pathway of their choice.”
Prior to her reposition at the foundation, Whitley was assistant vice president at CCS Fundraising, where she worked with independent schools to embark on capital campaigns.
Whitley said she has some other ideas about the foundation as it moves forward under her leadership, but for now, she wants to ensure it continues to be successful.
“I’m just excited to continue the great work that the staff and the board have already kind of laid the foundation for, find new opportunities either with funding or how to deepen our impact with the current programs that we support and I’m excited to kind of jump in this week,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll find other things I’m excited to do and ways that I will want to leave an impact, but that’s how I’m thinking about the work now at least.”
The foundation’s website lists its eight current initiatives::
- Make preschool more affordable
- Fund art programs within the district
- Provide after-school programs to help working parents
- Focus on student and teacher wellness
- Give students hands-on learning opportunities
- Help first-generation students obtain college degrees
- Fund classroom grants
- Listen to educators about future ideas