The Children’s Storefront, a leading early childhood nonprofit, is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees. The new members, having joined the Board in February 2024, bring a wealth of experience and expertise, further strengthening the organization’s commitment to supporting brain development in the first three years of children’s lives.
The newly appointed Board members include:
- Karen Lundgard
- Karen Lundgard is a nonprofit leader with over twenty years of experience in youth development organizations. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Girl Scouts of Greater New York. In this role, she oversees an $11M annual budget, a rigorous program portfolio serving over 25,000 members, a 425-acre camp property, the build of a $10M dining hall and experience center, and the Girl Scout Cookie Program – the organization’s largest revenue source. Karen leads the strategic planning process and supports the realization of the organization’s mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Recreation from SUNY Cortland. While working as a Summer Camp Counselor, she witnessed the powerful impact of experiential education and knew she wanted to spend her career developing impactful experiences outside of the traditional classroom. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast and passionate fan of the cinema. Karen lives in Harlem with her husband and 10-year-old son.
- Christopher Turner
- Christopher Turner brings more than 20 years of experience as a real estate professional specializing in providing transactional advice to nonprofit organizations in the United States. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Denham Wolf’s Transaction Services practice group, leading the team in the planning, structuring, and negotiating of real estate transactions for the New York City nonprofit community. Prior to joining Denham Wolf, Christopher worked at Colliers International, Cushman & Wakefield, and he advised the British Government on real estate matters in both the health and justice sectors. Christopher is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chair of the Membership Committee of YM/WREA, a member of ULI and ULI NEXT council, and a perennial mentor to ULI Young Leaders. Originally hailing from Britain, he now resides in Harlem with his wife and two children.
- Dr. Miriam Vega
- Dr. Vega is an experienced, social-justice oriented executive of non-profits who has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA from Vassar College in Psychology. She completed a two-year Prevention Fellowship at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Vega created the CHANGE model of capacity-building assistance which helps to build culturally responsive programming, quality improvement and organizational infrastructure at community-based organizations across the nation. As a result, Dr. Vega has become a turnaround specialist who is also a scientist-advocate with a firm understanding of organizational operations from a grassroots level. In that vein, she has served in the roles of CEO and COO at multiple Federally Qualified Health Centers; including Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center in NY, Total Health Care in Baltimore, Kedren Community Health Center and Psychiatric Hospital In Los Angeles, the University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA), and AIDS Project of the East Bay in Oakland, California. She has served on numerous boards, and has devoted her professional career to bringing quality and comprehensive healthcare services to those who need it the most.
“We are thrilled to welcome these accomplished individuals to our Board of Trustees,” said Robert Rylee, Chair of the Board at The Children’s Storefront. “Their diverse backgrounds and extensive experience will undoubtedly contribute to the strategic direction and success of our organization. We believe that their passion for supporting the health and long-term success of children aligns seamlessly with our commitment to making a positive impact for families in Harlem.”
These newest Board members join a committed group of leaders who have offered long-term support to the organization. The current Board includes Robert Rylee (Chair); Elsie V. Aidinoff (Vice-Chair); Christopher Moore (Vice-Chair); George Weiksner (Treasurer); Christine Moore (Secretary); and Orren Alperstein (Trustee). Since 2022, the organization has been helmed by Adeline Medeiros (Executive Director), a social worker, educator, and early childhood expert.
The Children’s Storefront expresses its gratitude to our current Board members for their dedicated service and contributions. The organization looks forward to benefiting from the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that the new members bring to the Board.
About The Children’s Storefront
The Children’s Storefront works with parents to promote the development of children’s brains in the first 1,000 days of life, building a strong foundation for lifelong success.
Since 1966, we’ve offered revolutionary educational programming and supportive services to children and their families. Today, our evolved model is based on the latest research showing that the first three years of life are our single best opportunity to connect with children and support their healthy brain development. Participation in our program leads to better learning, social-emotional, and health outcomes for children – now, and throughout their lives.
Our Play & Learn program, offered both virtually and in our beautiful playspace in historic Harlem, combines the Serve and Return framework, developed by Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, with our decades of expertise in community building and holistic family support. Our twenty weekly sessions allow parents and children to learn together, with caregivers practicing the skills that spur brain development while receiving immediate feedback and support from early childhood specialists.
Our program has a lasting impact. After only a few sessions, the bond between parent and child is strengthened, and parents and caregivers gain confidence in their ability to spur healthy brain development in their child. This leads to an increase in their child’s sense of security and confidence, accelerated language development, and improved self-regulation. We ensure that our program remains accessible and relevant to our participants by offering it in both English and Spanish; keeping it free of cost; seeking feedback from families and continually refining our program; and creating opportunities to adapt everything we discuss to the unique culture, structure, and needs of each family.
The Children’s Storefront is committed to the science of early childhood brain development and is proud to be building a thriving, nurturing village of support for Harlem families.
For more information, please contact Adeline Medeiros at [email protected] or 212-427-7900.
