By: Michael D. Smith, Eckerd Connects CEO
Posted on: LinkedIn
Nearly 60 years ago, Jack and Ruth Eckerd founded Eckerd Connects with a simple but powerful belief: talent exists in every community—but opportunity depends on whether the right support options are in place and easily accessible.
They understood something that still holds true today. People don’t just need a job. They need a pathway. A way to build skills, earn credentials, find stability, and support themselves and their families. When youth, adults and families are balancing work, school, caregiving, financial stress, or past involvement with the justice system, progress depends on having someone walk alongside them—connecting education, training, and real jobs with the support and search for systemic solutions that make success sustainable.
That belief is personal to me. I am a product of the very kinds of community-based programs Eckerd Connects supports. As a kid growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, programs like the Boys & Girls Club helped open doors, built confidence, and shape my path forward. I’ve seen firsthand how access, mentorship, and opportunity can change the trajectory of a life—and that’s why Eckerd’s mission resonated so deeply with me.
Listening to the people who remind us why this work matters
Last week, our team came together for our Strategic Summit—alongside board members and leaders from across the country. While we spent time talking about strategy and the future, the most powerful moments came from listening.
During our Mission Moment panel, we heard directly from opportunity youth and young mothers served through Eckerd Connects programs. Their stories reflected what we see every day across the country: people working hard to improve their lives, earn credentials, find meaningful work, and create stability for their families.
They reminded us that this work isn’t about systems or headlines—it’s about real people striving for opportunity, dignity, and a better future. Those voices ground every decision we make.
Strengthening leadership to expand access and impact
To better serve youth, children, families, and communities nationwide, we’ve strengthened our senior leadership team—not for growth’s sake, but to expand opportunity and deepen impact.
Amy Seusing joined Eckerd Connects as Chief Development Officer, bringing decades of experience building philanthropic and corporate partnerships that fuel mission-driven work. Her focus is ensuring that the programs people rely on—career training, education, and family support—have the resources to grow and reach more individuals.
Ursula L. Wright joined as Chief Strategy Officer, bringing deep experience across education, policy, and systems change. Her work will help ensure that our programs don’t just start strong—but lead to measurable outcomes like credentials earned, careers launched, and family-sustaining wages.
Jenny Mauk joined as Chief of Staff, bringing more than two decades of experience supporting executive leadership, strengthening organizational alignment, and ensuring that strategy translates into day-to-day impact for the people we serve.
We’re also proud to elevate long-serving internal leaders https://eckerd.org/announcing-new-senior-leaders-and-modernized-website/ who understand Eckerd Connects from the ground up and are committed to strengthening how we show up for the people we serve every day. Learn more about Eckerd’s leadership team at: https://eckerd.org/about/leadership-team/.
A modern front door to opportunity
We also recently launched a newly redesigned website—not simply as a refresh, but as a clearer, more welcoming front door to opportunity.
For youth, children, and families, it makes it easier to find programs, understand options, and connect with local services. For employers and partners, it shows how we work together to build talent pipelines and support career pathways. And for funders and community leaders, it highlights the real outcomes that come from investing in people.
Most importantly, the site allows us to better tell the stories of everyday Americans working to achieve their potential—and the collective impact created when communities come together. Learn more at: www.eckerd.org.
Looking ahead
What began in 1968 as a single therapeutic program has grown into a national non-profit supporting more than 250,000 children, youth, and adults each year across 20 states and Washington, D.C. Through workforce development, Job Corps education and training, and child and family services, Eckerd Connects helps people build skills, access careers, and move toward family-sustaining wages.
As the world of work continues to change, our commitment remains constant: to support opportunity youth and families where they are, help them build momentum, and create pathways to lasting economic opportunity, while we examine root causes and search for systemic solutions. I’m proud of the impact we carry forward—and energized by the future we’re building together.
