Reaching Heights seeks new executive director

On Dec. 12, at the Reaching Heights Annual Meeting, Patrick Mullen announced that he will be stepping down as executive director of the organization in 2014.

Mullen and his family plan to move to New Zealand for a year, where his wife, Dr. Heather Mullen, will practice medicine.

"With gratitude for the chance to lead this organization since the fall of 2007, and excitement about the adventure that awaits, I will step down as executive director of Reaching Heights in the spring of 2014," said Mullen.

"Leading Reaching Heights has been a blast. It’s been my great fortune to work with and learn from terrific colleagues, board members, volunteers, and of course the phenomenal educators and students of the Heights schools,” said Mullen. “Our work remains as needed and important as when Reaching Heights began in 1989, and will continue through and beyond what I will work hard to make a seamless transition."

On behalf of the Reaching Heights Board, Reid Vail, board vice president, thanked Mullen for his leadership and service to the community, and commented, "You had the unenviable task of succeeding the organization's founder, Susie Kaeser, who had established strong connections with both the schools and the greater Heights community. We believe you strengthened those connections and helped to ensure that Reaching Heights continued as a valuable and relevant resource to the community. We thank you for your service, and wish you and your family all the best on your fantastic journey."

The Reaching Heights Board Governance Committee has begun the search process for a new executive director for the organization. A job description and application information can be found at www.idealist.org/view/job/MMt7skTgsnxd and at www.reachingheights.org. The application deadline is Feb. 1.

Reaching Heights is a nonprofit organization that views Heights public schools as the community’s greatest asset. Its mission is to mobilize community resources—human and financial—to foster excellent public schools in Cleveland Heights-University Heights. Reaching Heights provides grants to teachers and schools, creates and manages extracurricular programming, publicizes the accomplishments of Heights students and schools and provides ways for parents and community members to participate in the schools.