Contact: Cynthia Perez
cperez@familiesinschools.org
(213) 201-3932
FAMILIES IN SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES TRANSITION
OF PRESIDENT AND CEO OSCAR E. CRUZ
Karla V. Salazar, Current COO, Appointed As Interim President & CEO
LOS ANGELES (December 12, 2019) – Families In Schools, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to involve parents and communities in their children’s education to achieve lifelong success, today announced the departure of Oscar E. Cruz, long-time President & CEO of the organization.
Over his 10-year tenure at Families In Schools (FIS), Cruz worked alongside community, corporate, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders who shared the same vision of closing opportunity gaps for students and families in the Greater Los Angeles region. He credits passionate and dedicated FIS staff and board members who helped to advance the mission of the organization. As a result, the organization has made significant strides in elevating the voices of families in education policy at the local and state level, and have also created high-impact programs to help school districts improve their family engagement practices.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude for the partnerships and friendships I have made during the 10 years at Families In Schools,” said Cruz. “I have felt energized and inspired by all of the people I’ve worked with—colleagues, partner organizations, community leaders, and more. Together we worked diligently to foster strong partnerships between schools and families that would lead to student success. ”
Cruz will move from FIS on January 10, 2020, to take the role of COO at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles (UWGLA). The FIS Board has appointed Karla V. Salazar, current FIS COO, as the Interim President & CEO.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Oscar for the passion and leadership he brought to FIS over the years,” said Shamya Ullah, Families In Schools Board Chair. “Oscar leaves with Karla, the board of directors, and staff a solid foundation on which we can continue to advance the mission of the organization.”
For further questions please contact, Interim CEO & President, Karla V. Salazar at ksalazar@familiesinschools.org or (213) 201-3917.
# # #
About Families In Schools
Families In Schools (FIS) serves low-income, immigrant, and communities of color knowing that education remains the single most important opportunity for them. FIS seeks to help families/caregivers become knowledgeable and confident advocates for their children’s education and authentic partners with schools.