Kristina Phillips was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mary Crane Center in Chicago, Illinois on April 10, 2023. She holds a BA, MPA, and is currently completing a PhD in business organization and management. Her professional experience spans public policy, education, workforce training and development, program design and implementation, donor management, event management, and grant writing. Phillips has been an active team builder, development expert, and leader with several area nonprofit organizations including her tenure as Director of Development and Partner Relations at The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director at Career Resource Center, and Executive Director at Family Service of Glencoe.

“Our board of directors is thrilled to welcome Kristina to Mary Crane,” said board president Brian Slocum. “In my estimation, Kristina has a rare combination of skills, experience, creativity, and passion for excellence required to advance our mission for the communities we serve.” “I could not be more honored to return to the education sector to serve as Mary Crane’s CEO,” Phillips says. “At its core, Mary Crane Center is a group of trailblazers in the birth to five education arena as well as industry leaders in home-based parent engagement initiatives. As CEO, I look forward to working closely with Mary Crane Center’s board and staff to seek and cultivate relationships with strategic partners, individual donors, private foundations, philanthropic entities, government organizations, and community agencies.”

Mary Crane Center provides high quality early care and education programs and services that support school readiness, empower parents and engage the community. Since its inception in 1908, caring for children of immigrants on Chicago’s near West Side, Mary Crane Center has continually served as the first classroom for thousands of infants and toddlers and now operates sites in West Lakeview, Rogers Park, Austin and West Garfield Park. The Mary Crane Center has launched the lives of over 15,000 children and families.