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June 06, 2018

Leonard brings more than three decades of non-profit, public and private sector experience to the organization

Jamaica Plain, MA (June 6, 2018) – Nurtury, New England’s first early childhood care center and preschool, today announced that Mary Kay Leonard has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer. She will succeed Wayne Ysaguirre, who has served as CEO of Nurtury for the past 10 years.

Leonard, who has served in the non-profit, public and private sector for more than 30 years, will lead Nurtury, providing strategic counsel and overall planning and management for the organization. She will also play a pivotal role in the search for Nurtury’s next CEO.

“Mary Kay’s leadership skills and deep expertise in the non-profit sector will be invaluable to Nurtury while she serves as interim CEO,” said Wayne Ysaguirre. “Mary Kay will help ensure Nurtury maintains its strong position for continued growth and she has always been an advocate of Nurtury’s mission to helping children reach their full potential.”

Mary Kay began her career in state government as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Office for Children which regulated more than 12,000 child and youth service programs. She helped to shape public policy for state agencies as Chief Counsel to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services. Prior to creating her own consulting practice focused on helping companies during times of change, Leonard served as President and CEO of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a national non-profit organization providing research and consultation to foundations, businesses, and governments. She also had nearly a decade of experience serving as Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of the United Way serving Boston as well as the leader of Investor Relations for United Way Worldwide.

“I’m honored to serve as interim CEO of Nurtury,” said Mary Kay Leonard. “I have always had a deep commitment to helping children reach their potential and I’m so proud to join Nurtury – an organization whose mission and values are helping our youngest children build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
Mary Kay Leonard will begin her role as interim CEO on July 2 and will serve the organization until the new CEO of Nurtury has been selected.

About Nurtury
Nurtury is a pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its 140-year history in shaping public early education policy to raise standards in the field of education nationally and in New England. Nurtury’s mission is to help Greater Boston’s youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families.

Media Contact
Eva Pereira for Nurtury
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(781) 559-0424

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May 29, 2018

CEO transition will bring new leadership perspective and keep Nurtury well-positioned for future growth

Boston, Massachusetts (May 29, 2018) – Nurtury, New England’s first early childhood care center and preschool in New England, today announced that Wayne Ysaguirre will be stepping down as CEO effective June 29, 2018, culminating a nearly 30-year career with the organization.

“We deeply appreciate all of Wayne’s contributions to Nurtury over nearly 30 years, his steadfastness of purpose, his expansive vision, and his commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of the children Nurtury serves each and every day,” said Gayle Slattery, Chair of Nurtury's Board of Directors. “We wish him the best and know that he will continue to make a lasting impact on children and their families in his future endeavors.”

As CEO of Nurtury for the past 10 years, Wayne has played an integral role in giving thousands of Greater Boston’s youngest children the opportunity to reach their full potential. Under his leadership, Nurtury has advanced as an early childhood education organization and his forward-thinking vision has brought to life innovative approaches to helping children learn and grow.

“After nearly 30 years of being part of the Nurtury family, it’s with admiration and respect that I step down as CEO,” said Mr. Ysaguirre. “When I became CEO, I took on the responsibility of creating a vision that would help Nurtury evolve as an organization. We’ve done this in so many ways, like with our state- of-the-art Learning Lab – and I believe that now is the right time for a leadership transition that will bring fresh perspective and keep Nurtury thriving.”

The Nurtury Board of Directors is taking a thoughtful and thorough approach in its search to find the best candidate to serve as Nurtury’s next CEO. As part of this effort, it has hired an external firm to provide assistance with the CEO search. Mr. Ysaguirre will be involved in the process and will help to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.

While Mr. Ysaguirre is leaving Nurtury, he plans to pursue other opportunities to advocate for early education and to influence deeper systemic change and improve outcomes for children, families and communities.

About Nurtury

Nurtury is a pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its 140-year history in shaping public early education policy to raise standards in the field of education nationally and in New England. Nurtury’s mission is to help Greater Boston’s youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families.

Media Contact
Eva Pereira, for Nurtury
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(781) 559-0424

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May 10, 2018

Honors United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley CEO Michael Durkin as 2018 Nurturer of the Year as Part of 140th Celebration

Boston, Massachusetts (May 10, 2018) – Nurtury, New England’s first early childhood care center and preschool in New England, is celebrating its 140th anniversary with the announcement of $255,000 in new grants . The grants have been awarded by The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, The Liberty Mutual Foundation, Life Science Cares, American Tower and The Family Nurturing Center and the Boston Family Engagement Network and will support the following programs:

• The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation: a $100,000 grant will support Nurtury’s flagship center – the Nurtury Learning Lab.
• The Liberty Mutual Foundation: an $80,000 grant will support the Family Engagement for School Success program.
• Life Science Cares: a $10,000 grant will help purchase laptops for each of Nurtury’s 18 preschool classrooms to give students access to STEM education.
• American Tower: a $10,000 grant will fund technology system upgrades that support enrollment, attendance, nutrition, finance and child screening statistics.
• The Family Nurturing Center and the Boston Family Engagement Network (CFCE): a $55,000 grant will provide family support services for underserved populations.

The grants were announced during Nurtury’s annual “Night for Nurtury” fundraiser which took place on May 9 and celebrated the organization’s 140th year with a community of caregivers, educators and supporters who share Nurtury’s commitment to helping children 0 – 5 years old reach their full potential.

During the event, Nurtury also presented the Nurturer of the Year Award, which is an award given to an individual who applies ingenuity, compassion, and intellect to addressing and mitigating the impact of the challenges that affect children and their families. This year, Nurtury honored its most longstanding partner with the award – Michael Durkin, CEO of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

Under Mr. Durkin’s leadership, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley has been a strong supporter of Nurtury’s mission to help Greater Boston’s youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families.

“We’re so excited to honor Mr. Durkin for his unwavering commitment to supporting underserved children and their families,” said Wayne Ysaguirre, CEO of Nurtury. “As we celebrate our 140th year, it only seems appropriate that we reflect on the partners that have been with us for the long haul. For the past 50 years, the United Way has been by our side, advocating for the work we do each and every day, to help ensure the children we serve build a strong educational foundation to prepare them for a lifetime of learning.”

For more than 50 years, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley has been an avid supporter during significant milestones in Nurtury’s history and beyond. In 2014, the United Way played a critical role as a lead grant contributor that helped Nurtury’s state-of-the-art Learning Lab become a reality.

Nurtury and the United Way are also mutually invested in finding ways to collaborate to help advance early childhood education and programming in Boston. Through United Way’s groundbreaking initiative – DRIVE – Nurtury and United Way work closely to achieve universal child development screening for young children. Both organizations are also involved in Thrive in Five, Boston’s citywide movement to ensure children from families of all races, ethnicity, incomes and abilities have the opportunities and support they need to succeed in school and in life.

About Nurtury

Nurtury is a pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its 140-year history in shaping public early education policy to raise standards in the field of education nationally and in New England. Nurtury’s mission is to help Greater Boston’s youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families.

Media Contact

Eva Pereira, for Nurtury
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
781-559-0424

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November 16, 2017

Boston, MA - November 16, 2017

Nurtury, Boston's leader in delivering early education and care, announced today that it has completed the merger of Franklin Square House Children's Center, which has served children and families in the Mission Hill neighborhood community for more than 30 years.

Franklin Square House is a great strategic fit for Nurtury. The acquisition expands Nurtury's footprint in Greater Boston, adding a sixth center that will serve twenty-nine children in two classrooms — expanding our toddler and preschool classrooms to forty agency-wide.

Executive Director, Jen Demetros has been the center's director for four years. Her commitment to the center's children and families has created a warm, nurturing educational environment for children. She remarked, "This decision positions us to become part of one of the best and largest early education and care agencies in the City of Boston."

"We are excited to welcome the Franklin Square House children, parents, and employees to Nurtury! Delivering high quality early education and care to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond will continue to be our number one priority" said Wayne Ysaguirre, President and CEO of Nurtury. The completion of the transaction means that children, parents, and staff at Franklin Square House will benefit from Nurtury's comprehensive administrative service capabilities, which will increase their ability to operate in an efficient and effective manner.

Franklin Square House Children's Center will remain at its current location at 1575 Tremont Street in Boston, MA, and will be renamed Nurtury at Franklin Square House.

ABOUT NURTURY
Nurtury gives Greater Boston's youngest children in need, from birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development and strengthening families. For over a century, Nurtury has been one of Boston's largest providers of early education and care, currently impacting over 1,200 children in the Greater Boston area. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

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October 06, 2017

Boston, MA - October 6, 2017

Nurtury, New England’s first early education and care agency, has partnered with UBER to further their family engagement efforts. UBER, the location-based app that offers inexpensive transportation services, will be sponsoring the Nurtury Learning Lab’s monthly Family Movie Night for one year. This event takes place on the fourth Friday of each month to bring members of the community together at this Jamaica Plain location in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments (formerly Bromley-Heath). UBER was also a sponsor of Nurtury’s 3rd annual fundraiser, A Night for Nurtury in May 2017.

For more information on the Learning Lab’s Family Engagement Department, contact India Gerald, Director of Family Engagement at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ABOUT NURTURY
Nurtury gives Greater Boston's youngest children in need, from birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting health development and strengthening families. For over a century, Nurtury has been one of Boston's largest providers of early education and care, currently impacting over 1,200 children in the Greater Boston area.