Bright Minds is pleased to welcome Jennifer Van Kirk as its new Executive Director.

Jennifer comes to Bright Minds with more than 25 years of experience developing strategy, partnerships, and communications that drive engagement for business and social impact programs. Youth education, development, and empowerment has been a central focus of her career. In her last full time role, she served as the Director of Partnerships for the International Youth Foundation in Baltimore. She has also served as a project manager for international education, health, and economic development projects for RTI International. Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and a Masters in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Jennifer’s experience building successful brands, partnerships, and programs that support youth development make her an ideal choice to lead Bright Minds at this critical point in the organization’s history,” said Suzi Padgett, chair of the Bright Minds board of directors. “Bright Minds has accomplished a great deal in recent years, and we are confident there is much more that we can do to support students and educators in Howard County under Jennifer’s leadership and in partnership with the school system.”

Jennifer succeeds Liz Crammond, Bright Minds’ second Executive Director from 2018-2021, who played a critical role in the organization’s development and success.