Kirsten Clark, Executive Director

Kirsten Clark became Executive Director of COH in 2019 after the Board of Directors noted her success in developing and coordinating the newly opened María de la Paz Youth Outreach Center (MPYOC) and implementing policies as the Program Director. Before joining the COH team to launch MPYOC in 2018, Kirsten was named a Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright grant award allowed her to pursue her passion for second language education and intercultural exchange in Bogota, Colombia where she taught Business English at Universidad EAN and led a weekly language and dance exchange to benefit a nonprofit that supports under-resourced youth through dance scholarships and mindfulness training. Prior to her travels, Kirsten served as a program assistant for the Educational Services program at Esperanza Center in Baltimore, where Kirsten began interning through the Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership program. While pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, she also worked in their English Language Institute, assisting with student services and international student admissions. Kirsten is fluent in English and Spanish, has a unique talent for systems-thinking, and continuously explores various perspectives to reach the most effective solution. Under Kirsten’s leadership, COH has dramatically improved program evaluations, professional development for staff, increased the annual budget by more than one hundred thousand dollars, introduced a new English as Second Language curriculum, implemented new data management systems, improved retention in educational programs, and expanded participation in community organizing efforts and collaborative initiatives including the Joint Initiative to Eliminate the Opportunity Gap, the Annapolis Collaborative for Change, Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT), Latino Providers Network, the Anne Arundel Collaborative Supporting Youth, Maryland Latinos Unidos, and Juntos Annapolis. Kirsten’s vision for the Center of Help includes expanding services throughout the county and continuing to fulfill the Center’s mission to interrupt the cycle of poverty and promote self-sufficiency. One of her biggest desires is for those who benefit from COH services to continue to gain skills and take on leadership roles within COH and on the broader community..