Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning Names Senate Alexander, Esq., as First-Ever Executive Director

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) today announced early childhood education (ECE) expert, Senate Alexander, Esq., as its first Executive Director. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in education, nonprofit management, strategic growth planning, and as a Milton Hershey School graduate, Mr. Alexander is uniquely qualified to lead CHS. The $350 million CHS initiative aims to develop up to six cost-free Early Childhood Resource Centers (ECRCs) in Pennsylvania. These centers will serve economically disadvantaged youth from birth to 5 years old.

After a comprehensive national search, Mr. Alexander stood out for his creative vision of what quality early childhood education can and should be. His legal acumen, business development skills, and commitment to providing top notch education opportunities to at-risk youth will greatly benefit CHS and those it serves.

“We are thrilled to welcome Senate back to Hershey, this time as Executive Director of Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning,” said Pete Gurt ’85, Milton Hershey School and Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning President. “Senate will build out our new early childhood education initiative, something we are all excited and eager to collaborate on. I can’t imagine a better leader and partner for this new endeavor, as we help young children from poverty begin their journeys to reach their fullest potential.”

Mr. Alexander received his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his Juris Doctorate from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., where he focused on employment and labor law and nonprofit management. Mr. Alexander is licensed to practice law in Maryland. His legal and educational experiences have enabled him to develop multiple ECE start-up initiatives and lead strategic, financial, and programmatic expansions for new and existing centers.

“I am humbled and honored to have been selected as the first Executive Director of Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning,” said Mr. Alexander. “I know firsthand how critical it is for children from at- risk backgrounds to have access to quality education from an early age and look forward to building on Catherine and Milton Hershey’s legacy and furthering their work to better the lives of children in need.”

Prior to his new role as Executive Director at CHS, Mr. Alexander served as the Executive Director of Rosslyn Children’s Center, a nonprofit organization in Arlington, Virginia. In this role, he was responsible for board governance and procedures, financial performance and viability, and management of all general operations of the center. Before that, he was the Regional Director of Operations at Columbia Academy in Maryland, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of four high-quality preschools serving more than 450 children.

The hiring process for other key staff for the CHS Central Office location is underway. The following positions have been added to the Careers section of CHS’s website: Program Curriculum Director, Operations Director, Human Resources Manager, Facilities Manager, and Finance Manager. For these and other job postings, visit chslearn.org.