Melinda Morrison Gulick has taken the role of chief executive at First Things First and will oversee statewide efforts to improve school readiness for children from birth to 5-years-old.

FTF was created by Arizona voters in 2006 to expand early childhood programs that help children arrive at kindergarten healthy and prepared to succeed, according to a press release.

Through its volunteer regional councils statewide:

• FTF has invested in strategies that have strengthened families;
• improved the quality of early learning; and
• expanded access to preventive health screenings for thousands of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers statewide.

Leading Arizona’s early childhood agency brings Gulick’s career full circle; she started out spearheading community relations and fundraising for one of the state’s largest child-serving nonprofits, Southwest Human Development.

“The more I worked in education, the more I realized the importance of a strong start in putting every child on a trajectory toward school success,” Gulick said in a prepared statement. “It also reinforced that the work of strengthening families and supporting young kids needs to engage everyone – parents, extended families, communities, philanthropy, business, and policymakers.”

FTF Board Chair Gerald Szostak offers that Gulick’s diverse background --- including her experience with community engagement and volunteer-led organizations – made her the ideal candidate for the job.

“First Things First does an incredible job with the resources we have, but the needs of young children far outweigh the capacity of any one organization,” Szostak said in the release.

“If every child is going to be ready to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, we need a leader who can engage decision-makers across various fields and get them working together toward a common vision. CEO Gulick has a proven track record of doing just that, and we are confident that she will add to those successes at First Things First.”

Gulick’s most recent work was as an independent management consultant for a variety of organizations, primarily 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Among Gulick’s most notable accomplishments were facilitating a public-private partnership to guarantee graduates of Coronado High School two years of community college or technical school.

Ginger Ward, CEO of Southwest Human Development, said the early childhood system will benefit from a leader both passionate about early childhood and savvy about the inner workings of philanthropy, business, and public policy.

“Melinda understands that relationships are central to bringing out the best in people, systems, and organizations. Her experience establishing, nurturing, and leveraging relationships will be instrumental to moving forward the work of First Things First,” Ward said in the release.

“As a working parent of two young sons, she appreciates and understands the support needed to help a family with young children grow and thrive. That is part of what makes her such an enthusiastic and passionate advocate.”