Breakthrough Providence at Wheeler Names New Executive Director

February 5, 2020

We are thrilled to announce that after an extensive search for a new Executive Director, Breakthrough Providence at Wheeler has named Edwine (Drine) Paul to the position as of February 18, 2020.

Breakthrough Providence, located on the Wheeler campus, pursues a dual mission to increase academic opportunity for highly motivated, underserved students and get them into college ready to succeed; as well as to inspire and develop the next generation of teachers and educational leaders.

Drine is a University of Connecticut graduate and attended the Institute of Non-profit Leadership at Tufts University where she did advance coursework in fundraising strategy, public policy and advocacy, strategic financial management, and marketing and branding. She is also a City Year Program alum.

headshot of Black woman executive
Edwine Paul, new Executive Director of Breakthrough Providence at Wheeler

Drine has spent the last six years working for City Year, starting there as an AmeriCorps teacher of ELA and math to middle schoolers, then as an Impact Manager and Impact Leader. As Impact Leader she was responsible for interviewing, hiring, and onboarding Impact Managers and led the recruitment of AmeriCorps staff. She also oversaw program delivery, co-facilitating the site’s social justice curriculum, and partnership management including collaborations with school and district partners, other non-profits, and corporations. She also worked closely with the development department to organize and coordinate annual fundraising efforts.

In announcing the appointment, Head of School Allison Gaines Pell said, “In addition to Drine’s accomplishments and experience with City Year, her energy, passion, warmth, focus, and commitment impressed us to no end. We admired her serious sense of purpose and drive and also her ability to laugh. We also felt that Drine would be able to wear the many hats of an Executive Director, but never lose sight of the most important constituency of Breakthrough Providence – the students and their families.”

Learn more about the program at the Breakthrough Providence website.

 

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