Charleston, S.C. (November 9, 2016) — Darkness to Light Board Chair Jamie Tozzi today announced that Katelyn Brewer has joined the organization as CEO. Brewer brings invaluable experience including leadership roles in fundraising, operations, and the development of global initiatives. She has worked nationally and internationally in a variety of capacities, including partnerships with multinational corporations that result in sustainable change for local communities. Katelyn’s work has demonstrated that starting local allows an organization to expand its mission globally. Her leadership will help the organization further its work educating adults everywhere on how to prevent child sexual abuse through their award winning Stewards of Children® prevention training.
“The board of directors is thrilled that Katelyn Brewer has joined the Darkness to Light team as CEO,” said Tozzi. “Katelyn brings tremendous experience in not for profit management and a global perspective that will help amplify Darkness to Light’s leadership in child sexual abuse prevention locally and around the world. Additionally, we are extremely grateful for the generous time and powerful work Lyndon Haviland accomplished during the organization’s transition.”
Board member Lyndon Haviland served as Darkness to Light’s Chief Executive Officer in an interim capacity. Haviland’s leadership during this time raised the profile of the organization to a broader audience while she made tremendous strides in strategic partnerships.
“It was important to find the perfect candidate for this position, and we feel that we have found that leader in Katelyn,” said Haviland. “My commitment to Darkness to Light remains strong. I will support Katelyn in building on the work that we’ve already started, including national policy and advocacy.”
Brewer brings vast experience and skills with her to the organization. Most recently, she managed the growth of the operations portfolio of a Washington, D.C. based foundation committed to supporting military veterans, with a focus on increasing transparency and accountability to both donors and scholars. Prior to that, Brewer worked with Africare as director of strategic engagement, managing all Johannesburg-based programmatic activity and regional business development initiatives for Southern Africa. She also served as program manager where she was responsible for managing the performance of West and Central African country portfolios and raised $162 million in new business during her tenure leading the business development department.
“I am firmly rooted in the belief that community change starts locally in order to grow nationally and globally” said Ms. Brewer. “Along with training community leaders in prevention, we must provide short-term strategic, operational, and technical assistance to build the foundation for real community change. We can do this by gaining insights from our own local initiatives and sharing best practices with communities everywhere.”
Ms. Brewer has proven this community-based model through establishing her own start-up in which she empowered local communities in South Africa to create a sustainable model for healthy living that they could own.
Ms. Brewer received her bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. She will be relocating from Virginia to Darkness to Light’s headquarters in Charleston, SC by the end of the year.
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