CHC Board of Directors Announces Selection of New CEO for Children’s Health Council
The Board of Directors for Children’s Health Council (CHC) has announced the selection of Dr. Ryan C. Eisenberg to succeed Dr. Rosalie Whitlock as CEO of CHC. This announcement is the result of a nine-month comprehensive search. Rosalie has served as CEO since 2009 and is recognized in the community as a highly collaborative and transformative leader in the fields of education and mental health. Under her leadership, the agency extended its reach further into the community and added multiple innovative services and programs to respond to the diverse needs of families.
Dr. Whitlock stated, “I am so proud of CHC’s dedicated staff who have completely transformed our organization. We have a clear vision for the future, exceptionally competent staff and executive leadership, a committed and smoothly operating Board of Directors, dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and rich collaborative partnerships with many in our community. Our goal now is to maintain this momentum and move forward into the future with our leadership capacity and operational strength. I am fully confident that Dr. Eisenberg is the person who will successfully lead the agency ahead to its next chapter. We welcome him to CHC.”
Ryan comes to CHC from AchieveKids (Palo Alto and San Jose) where he has been Executive Director since 2016. As an educator and an organizational leader, Ryan has been driven to improve the educational experiences and mental health outcomes for students who have traditionally struggled in schools or in their communities. He has worked successfully with a wide range of community partners, colleagues, families, supporters and advocates and he has a strong belief in supporting and encouraging staff.
“I am deeply honored to begin work at CHC, an agency I have worked with closely and admired over the years, says Dr. Eisenberg. My passion lies with supporting kids and families and I look forward to working with the incredibly talented staff and leadership of CHC. I am humbled at the opportunity to join such a wonderful community. Together we can achieve so much, especially in this time of great need.”
Ryan’s career includes more than 20 years in both special education and nonprofits where he has been a teacher, administrator and a proven leader in program development. Prior to AchieveKids, Ryan was the Division Director of Education Services for Hillsides in Pasadena CA, running a non-public school and educational contracting services for local districts and Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA). In that role, Ryan helped innovate an integrated social-emotional and academic program to enhance the outcomes for students with social-emotional challenges. He has also worked as a teacher and administrator for Compass School, a therapeutic day school in Boston as well as a teacher and program developer for students struggling within the school system in Hawaii.
Ryan earned his Doctorate in Education from the University of Southern California in Educational Leadership, has a Master’s in Education from the University of Massachusetts, and a BA in Special Education from Arizona State University. He holds a certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute.
He serves on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES) and is a member of local and state advocacy groups focused on improving educational and mental health outcomes for foster youth.
CHC Board Chair Julie Terrell Hooper stated, “We are all so grateful to Rosalie for her years of dedicated service to CHC. CHC’s Board of Directors and Rosalie are extremely enthusiastic about bringing Dr. Eisenberg to CHC. His background, significant experience, strategic insights and values are a very natural fit with CHC. As we prepare to celebrate our upcoming 70th Anniversary, we feel confident we will be well positioned to meet the future with Dr. Eisenberg in the leadership position.”
Media Contact: Liza Bennigson | (415) 377–1494 | lbennigson@chconline.org
