Communities In Schools Announces Donna Weiss as New National Board Chair
Weiss succeeds Elaine Wynn who served as chair from 2007 to 2023
CONTACT: Whitney Faison, [email protected], 315-420-6049
Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 school-based integrated student supports, announced today that Donna Weiss has been elected as Chair of its Board of Directors. The Communities In Schools National Board exists to advise CIS’ CEO and leadership team on strategy, policies, and practices to ensure the execution of the national office strategic plan, driving system-level change.
“Donna Weiss has the voice and vision that can support the CIS National Network from the ground up,” said Rey Saldaña, President and CEO of Communities In Schools National Office. “Having served Communities In Schools for close to two decades as a National Board member and previously as a board chair at Communities In Schools of Los Angeles, Donna understands the pulse of our work happening inside schools and has the experience and heart to lead the organization into its next phase of impact.”
Weiss is an adviser to Terrapin Palisades, a private equity firm with a focus on domestic and international real estate and agriculture investments. She has been a member of the national board of Communities In Schools since 2003 and has chaired several committees for CIS, including the Student Supports Committee, Strategic Planning, and two national search committees for its CEO. She was the founding board chair of CIS of Los Angeles, which grew from two schools and 150 case-managed students to 10 schools and 1,500 case-managed students during her tenure.
Weiss is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in biochemistry from Brown University, where she serves as a trustee and co-chair of the Brown Annual Fund. She also earned a law degree from Harvard University.
“For over 20 years, Communities In Schools has been a significant part of my life as a board member and champion of student success. As CIS approaches 50 years of existence, we boldly set course to accelerate progress towards our vision,” Weiss said. “Together with national leadership, the Communities In Schools Network, and our partners, we will expand our impact. I look forward to helping to lead this new strategic endeavor, ensuring success for more students nationwide and more supported communities and school districts.”
Weiss succeeds Elaine Wynn, who served as CIS National Board Chair since 2007. Wynn is well regarded as a business leader, an indomitable crusader for children’s welfare and an influential philanthropist. She is a tireless advocate of programs and services for underserved children and students. Wynn has been a member of the national board of Communities In Schools since 1999 and was elected chair in 2007. She was also the founding chair of CIS Nevada.
During her 16 years as board chair, Wynn, in partnership with CIS founder and Vice Chairman Bill Milliken, professionalized the work of Communities In Schools, helping leadership to establish and implement standards of quality and lay the foundation for sustainability. Wynn’s leadership propelled Communities In Schools as a nationally relevant organization while maintaining the local focus.
“It has been an honor to play a role in the legacy of Communities In Schools, working alongside leadership to develop the organization into the nation’s leading provider of integrated student supports. I’m so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to continuing to support CIS and Donna in her new leadership role,” said Wynn, Trustee, Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.
As Chair, Weiss will prioritize connecting the CIS Network to the CIS National office, ensuring that the national office is in service to the network, through an established culture of values, and staffing structure focused on the growth required to operate the national organization effectively.
The Communities In Schools National Office also welcomes two new board members. Pending board vote Kim Tully, Chief Information Officer of Creative Arts Agency, and David Fernandez, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Altria Client Services Inc. will join the board this February.
For a complete list of national board members, visit: https://www.communitiesinschools.org/about-us/our-leadership/board-of-directors.
About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of who they are, their ability, zip code or socioeconomic background, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 3,000 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. Follow us for news @cisnational on X, formerly Twitter, or with the hashtag #AllinforKids.
