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July 10, 2024

Blackstone Valley Education Foundation appoints longtime educator as executive director

woman sitting Photo | Courtesy of the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation Erin Conley was appointed as the executive director of the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation.

The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation in Whitinsville hired Erin Conley as executive director, as the organization restructures its curriculum to better meet the needs of the business community.

Conley has worked with student and adult learners as a college professor, director of curriculum and instruction, principal, consultant, and teacher over the last 26 years, according to a Tuesday press release from the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation.

She replaces Joscelyn Young, who served as the executive director since July 2022, according to the BVEF website. Young left the role in August, according to her LinkedIn account.

Conley will be tasked with reworking the curriculum at the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation during a time of transition for the organization, as much of its career programming was transferred last year to the Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development.

“We look forward to Dr. Conley’s leadership as BVEF refines and articulates new ways we can enhance education offerings and support the interests of the business community in the Blackstone Valley,” Lee Gaudette, treasurer and one of the original founders of BVEF, said in the press release.

Conley previously worked as director of TIMES2 STEM Academy in Providence to deploy science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum, professional development, and programming throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and internationally, according to the press release. Additionally, she collaborated with the Rhode Island Governor’s Workforce Board and Northeastern University in Boston to implement ExGen, a teacher externship program to prepare educators to excel in creating and implementing experiential learning that brings real world learning into classrooms. 

“Preparing the next generation to be successful in a global economy is work that I am deeply passionate about and I look forward to working with Blackstone Valley Education Foundation in envisioning how to prepare primary and middle school students as well as eductors for the workplace of tomorrow,” Conley said in the press release. 

Conley created a magnet program, which was recognized as the National Magnet School of Excellence in 2016 and 2017 and as National Green Ribbon School in 2017. 

She earned a doctor of education in curriculum, instruction, and leadership from Northeastern University, a certificate in educational leadership from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, a master’s degree in special education from Southern Connecticut State University, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation was established as a federal nonprofit organization in 1999 to connect member schools with local businesses to prepare students for the workforce. The foundation’s 15 members and affiliate member school districts receive programming and services in partnership with local businesses.

Sara Bedigian is a participant in the Editorial Internship Program at Worcester Business Journal. She is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut, where she studies journalism and political science. She will be the editor of the student-run newspaper The Daily Campus in the fall.
 

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