KaBOOM! is pleased to announce that Sally McConnell, most recently of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is joining the national non-profit’s senior leadership team as Vice President, External Affairs. In this role, November 4, 2013, McConnell will lead communications & marketing, cause marketing, web & digital strategy, and research, beginning November 4, 2013.
“I am thrilled to welcome Sally to the KaBOOM! family,” says James Siegal, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of KaBOOM!. “She is a skilled and energetic leader who brings with her a wealth of experience that will help us raise awareness and understanding about the importance of play in children’s lives and inspire people across America to promote and protect play. Sally will be a critical part of our senior team, helping to grow our efforts to ensure that all children get the active play they need every day to become healthy, successful adults.”
McConnell has deep experience in content development, digital strategy, earned media, and brand management. McConnell was most recently with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she served as Director of Strategic Communications and led public affairs, institutional partnerships, marketing, brand management, and digital engagement. Prior to Colonial Williamsburg, she co-founded and ran French Country Living, a multi-channel home furnishings brand that she grew from a small boutique to the largest direct seller in its category. Earlier in her career, Sally was the Director of Grassroots Lobbying for Common Cause.
“I am excited to become part of an organization with such a strong history of innovation,” says McConnell. “I look forward to building upon the many strengths that KaBOOM! possesses, and leveraging those strengths to expand support for the cause of play.”
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most. Research shows that play has the power to transform children – from sedentary to physically active, from bored to mentally active, and solitary to socially active. Yet, children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. As play loses out to video games, structured schedules, and a lack of access to safe play spaces, kids lose out on play’s benefits: healthy bodies, resilient and creative minds, and emotional well-being. Since its founding in 1996, KaBOOM! has built more than 2,300 playgrounds, mapped over 90,000 places to play, and partnered with hundreds of cities across the country to ensure all children get the active play they need to thrive.