Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas Names Celia Klein President and CEO

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of the Central Carolinas (JACC) today announced that Celia A. Klein has been named President and CEO of the organization, effective August 15.  Klein joins Junior Achievement from the Carolina Piedmont Region of the American Red Cross, where she oversaw development and fundraising in a seven-county area. In her new role, she will oversee all aspects of JACC including programming and development, and will lead JACC in its new strategic vision for maximizing student outreach across more than 40 counties in North and South Carolina.  

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"Celia's combined experience in the education, non-profit and business sectors will provide valuable insights to her new position and the organization as a whole," said JACC Board Chairman, Brian Ellsworth, a partner at Alston + Bird. "We believe we've found a great leader who will help JACC deliver on its mission to empower young people across the Central Carolinas to own their economic success."

Klein, a native of Maryland's eastern shore, holds a bachelor's of arts degree in Communications from James Madison University and a masters degree in Education from the University of South Carolina. Prior to her development role at the Red Cross, she owned Grandstand Communications, an experiential marketing company, for 13 years. She began her career at Stetson University in Florida as a student affairs administrator. An active member of the business community, Klein is a past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Charlotte Chapter. She has been recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal for "40 under 40" and the Mecklenburg Times as one of Charlotte's 50 Most Influential Women.

"All my career experiences have been preparing me for this important role in the community," said Klein. "The opportunity to serve children and help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs is a perfect fit for my passions and skill set."

Junior Achievement USA is the nation's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in 124 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

SOURCE Junior Achievement