Interview with Tom Smith, Executive Director of Long Run Children's Learning Centers Center

I have been working with a Minneapolis-based nonprofit called First Children's Finance for about 8 months now.  We do a lot of training and consulting for childcare center directors, so when I remembered that my Uncle Tom is the Executive Director at a center in the Pittsburgh area, I thought I'd email him with a few questions for the first ever interview on this blog!  As I have mentioned before on this blog, early education and childcare is extremely important.  Here is the interview in full, with a few notes that I have added in.

Question 1:  How long have you worked for Long Run Children's Center, and what attracted you to work there?
A:  I assumed the position of Executive Director in August of 1999. The school opened in 1962, and the founder, Bertha Mae Chaplin, had been its only Director until she decided to retire. It was an attractive job for someone looking for an administrative position in early childhood – a well-established program in a brand-new building, NAEYC-accredited, and (at the time) well-supported financially.

Question 2:  What is the mission of Long Run and why is it important?
A:  The Mission Statement is too long to insert here; let me just say that the Center was created to provide preschool services for children with special needs, a population that was largely un-served at that time. In the years since, the service has evolved, and now consists of inclusive preschool classes which also offer benefits to local typically-developing children. We believe that preschool education in general is of critical importance to the future of our communities, and that no one should be excluded from the opportunity to maximize his or her potential. We also feel that the inclusive program supports broader understanding and tolerance, an outcome that has been reported by a number of “alumni” parents.