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S. Watts McKinney
Sylvia Watts McKinney | CEO + President

Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center

We are pleased to share that the Board of Trustees at Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center has announced Sylvia Watts McKinney as their new President and Chief Executive Officer.

With nearly 20 years of nonprofit management and board leadership, Watts McKinney brings a wealth of experience building bridges that expand opportunities and access for young people facing systemic barriers. She will join Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center from Summer Search, Philadelphia, where she has served as Executive Director since 2017. Among her many accomplishments are establishing the national programs Championing for Justice & Equity and the AON Apprenticeship Program, both of which strengthen mentorship experiences and expand workforce development opportunities for high school students.

Before relocating to Philadelphia, Watts McKinney served as Executive Director of the Museum of African American History in Boston; that experience and her continued cultivation of partnerships locally bring a deep understanding of Boston’s communities, culture, and politics.

Watts McKinney received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of South Carolina, a Master’s in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed an executive program, Leading Difference for High Performance, at Harvard Business School.

The full announcement may be found here

Kennedy Kearney-Fischer led this search with Katie Rockman, Berlinda Mojica, and Alaine Small.