SAN FRANCISCO – Aspiranet, one of California’s largest social service agencies, is the first nonprofit in the nation to establish an internal Encore Fellows program, in partnership with the Civic Ventures’ Encore Fellowships Network. The inclusion of a fellow cohort of such experienced talent into Aspiranet is an innovative model for organizational effectiveness and change.

Encore Fellowships are designed to deliver new sources of talent to organizations solving critical social problems. These paid, time-limited (typically six to 12 months, half to full time) fellowships match skilled, experienced professionals at the end of their midlife careers with social-purpose organizations.

Aspiranet’s inaugural group consists of eight Encore Fellows with diverse backgrounds, including leadership positions in municipal government, nonprofit management, information technology, marketing, banking and education. (For brief bios on the eight fellows, go to www.encoreconnect.org.)

“Our eight Encore Fellows are dramatically expanding and improving our organization’s capacity to execute on important strategic initiatives,” said Vernon Brown, CEO of Aspiranet.

“Each Fellow has been matched with a member of our executive leadership team in a mission-critical role that leverages their talents and decades of experience,” Brown continued. “Beyond their individual roles, they are also working as a team to realize our vision of engaging in collective action on behalf of communities and families so that all children are loved and cared for.”

Marc Freedman is founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, the think tank on boomers, work and social purpose that launched the Encore Fellowships Network. “Aspiranet is a leader in deploying encore talent to social purpose work," Freedman said. "Through their flagship Experience Corps Bay Area and Encore Parenting-Kinship Navigation programs, and now their own Encore Fellows program, Aspiranet is an innovative force in the encore movement. The infusion and integration of such significant encore talent into a single nonprofit is a powerful model for delivering sustained impact.”

Aspiranet Encore Fellow Terry Connelly’s first job was in Sen. Robert Kennedy’s office in New York. Since then he has served as managing director at Salomon Brothers, partner at Cowen & Company and as dean of the graduate business school at Golden Gate University.

"Being an Encore Fellow is a wonderful opportunity,” Connelly, age 68, said. “Over the coming year, I know it will be gratifying to put my experience to good use and contribute to an organization that positively impacts so many young lives.”

For brief bios of all eight Aspiranet Encore Fellows, go to www.encoreconnect.org.

For more on Civic Ventures’ Encore Fellowships Network, go to www.encore.org/fellowships.

About Aspiranet (www.aspiranet.org):

Aspiranet, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, supports foster children, siblings, families and the community with 35 core programs offering specialized services through 44 satellite centers within California.

Founded 35 years ago as a six-bed group home for young boys in Moss Beach, Calif., Aspiranet is one of the most diverse nonprofit social service agencies in the state. With a statewide network of innovative services, Aspiranet has touched the lives of over 10,000 families and children since its founding.

Aspiranet’s vision of bringing families together and helping foster children, siblings and parents thrive is realized through six areas of expertise – Family Services, Foster Care, Adoption, Education, Afterschool programs and Community Partnerships. For more information, please visit www.aspiranet.org.