Welcome to New Interim Executive Director, Deirdre Harrison CFRE

Deirdre Harrison CFRE, Interim Executive Director (she/ella)

Deirdre Harrison, (pronounced DEER-drah), leaped into the SitStayRead family on February 29 as our Interim Executive Director. She brings over 25 years of nonprofit leadership, turnaround experience and forward-looking energy to the organization. Previously, she served in leadership positions at Snow City Arts, Eighth Blackbird, the MacArthur Foundation-funded shared fundraising project Creative Partners, Baker Demonstration School and several other education nonprofits. Her consulting practice, Big Dipper Projects, has served nonprofits in Chicago's education, cultural and healing sectors, including recent projects for Young, Black + Lit, NAMI Chicago, and Gateway to Learning.

Deirdre is a graduate of Yale University, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and earned a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language from Cambridge.  She is a dual Eire/US citizen who lived and worked as a performing artist in Europe in the first part of her work life, often developing and premiering new plays. A lifelong learner, she more recently earned her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and an Executive Education Certificate at Northwestern Kellogg' Center for Nonprofit.

Deirdre serves as treasurer for the World Listening Project; performs regularly with jazz and experimental musicians with her children's literacy band, The Lucky Trikes; and is the proud mother of a bicultural, bilingual daughter, a visual artist who lives in her country of origin, Italy. Deirdre's cat Oona is not fond of dogs, but will tolerate sharing a lap with a good book.

"I feel lucky to be joining such a devoted staff, board and volunteer corps at a time when Chicago students and teachers need more support. Sit Stay Read provides the whole, holistic, foundational literacy package: reading, writing, speaking, listening and critical thinking. Strategic and moment to moment decision making is happening through an evolving and culturally conscious, asset-based lens at all levels of the organization which is hard and imperative.

One might think kids, books, dogs-cute.  Yes. And. Sit Stay Read is a radical change agent.  Our programs stimulate and nourish the roots of personal agency and voice by supporting individual and interpersonal tools for lifelong learning and living with curiosity, patience, and courage."