Sue Stepleton Named President/CEO Of Parents As Teachers National Center, Inc.

Parents as Teachers National Center
Wednesday, 14 November 2001

Stepleton will lead an organization of more than 2,800 programs worldwide

ST. LOUIS, MO, November 14, 2001 – Susan S. Stepleton has been named the President and Chief Executive Officer of Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (PATNC) effective February 2002.

"We are excited to have someone of Sue's caliber to guide Parents as Teachers National Center in the area of public policy around early childhood and parenting issues," said Carolyn Losos, PATNC board chair.

Stepleton is currently executive director of Edgewood Children's Center, St. Louis, Mo., a social service agency providing treatment, education and prevention services to families and children.

"My experience in children's treatment programs reinforces my belief that reaching parents at or before the birth of a child is absolutely the best way to promote positive parenting and child outcomes. What drew me to Parents as Teachers is its sterling reputation," Stepleton said.

Stepleton brings an extensive background in family support, preservation and public policy programs at local, state and national levels. She is currently chair of the National Advisory Committee for Family Support and Family Preservation for the Child Welfare League of America where she is involved in standard setting and program innovations. She is also a trustee of the Pittsburgh-based National Center for Juvenile Justice.

Stepleton is a doctoral candidate in public policy at St. Louis University, focusing on nonprofit management and governance. Her first priority will be to implement the organization's newly approved strategic plan.

Parents as Teachers is a nonprofit organization providing parental education and support to families of all configurations and life circumstances. The program is international in scope and is built on the philosophies that babies are born to learn and that parents are their children's first and most influential teachers. Created in Missouri in 1981, Parents as Teachers is a voluntary program designed to help parents give their children (prenatal through kindergarten entry) the best possible start in life.

For more information, or to contact Parents as Teachers National Center, see their website at: www.patnc.org