March 4, 2008

Project Cornerstone names Anne Ehresman new executive director

Project Cornerstone is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne Ehresman as the organization’s new executive director. Ehresman will guide the organization as it continues its mission of ensuring that all young people in Santa Clara County have the positive values, relationships, and experiences—known collectively as “developmental assets”—that they need to thrive.

“We are confident that we have chosen the right person to guide this initiative," said Dave Thornton, president/CEO of YMCA of Santa Clara Valley, lead agency for Project Cornerstone. "Under Anne’s leadership, we’re certain that Project Cornerstone will continue to improve outcomes for youth in Santa Clara County and serve as a model for positive youth development for other regions throughout the country.”

Anne Ehresman is the new executive director of Project Cornerstone.

Ehresman brings more than 20 years of nonprofit program leadership and development experience to Project Cornerstone that includes fighting childhood hunger, preventing child assault, and developing housing and programs to help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. Ehresman previously was senior vice president of InnVision the Way Home, overseeing programs serving more than 15,000 homeless and low-income families and individuals throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, with responsibility for all private and in-kind resource development of the $10.3 million budget.

Prior to her work with InnVision, Ehresman served as executive director of San Jose First Community Services, where she supervised delivery of services to more than 1,500 low-income and homeless people in downtown San Jose, designed and developed programs to increase self-sufficiency and economic opportunities for children and adults, and increased grants, contracts, and contributions by 75 percent. As project coordinator for the Florida Impact Education Fund, she created and implemented statewide outreach for increase utilization of the federal Summer Food Service Program, increasing average daily participation by 27 percent.

Ehresman received a master’s degree in social welfare from University of California at Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. In 2003, she received a fellowship to attend the Stanford Business School Executive Education Program for Non-Profit Leaders. She serves as vice president of the Community Working Group Board of Directors.

As executive director of Project Cornerstone, Ehresman will provide leadership for Project Cornerstone’s efforts to strengthen families, neighborhoods, communities, and schools, and ensure that young people’s needs are addressed in public policy.

About Project Cornerstone
Project Cornerstone’s mission is to ensure that the development of healthy, caring, and responsible youth becomes a way of life in Santa Clara County. The organization works with more than 200 community-focused groups, including youth- and family-serving organizations, schools, city and county governments, and businesses. Project Cornerstone has been recognized by America’s Promise as contributing to the City of San José being named one of the 100 best communities for young people.