Sandy Hook Promise and Pillar Search & HR Consulting are excited to announce that, following an extensive and competitive candidate search, Christie Yonkers has joined as Vice President of Operations.
Reporting to Sandy Hook Promise’s Chief Operating Officer, Dawn Lyons, Christie will be responsible for translating Sandy Hook Promise’s strategy into high-quality, scalable execution across the organization and ensure that day-to-day operations, systems, and cross-functional processes are effective, efficient, and aligned to organizational priorities.
Christie has spent 25 years in nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she was Executive Director of the Sandra Hoskins Legacy Foundation, which she built from scratch and through which she deployed $6.7 million across dozens of partners focused on affordable housing. Before that, she led a financial turnaround at Towards Employment, ran cross-enterprise foundation relations at Cleveland Clinic, and held leadership roles at The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Beech Brook, and the ACLU of Ohio. Throughout her career, Christie has helped mission-driven organizations translate ambitious goals into effective execution by building systems, aligning teams, and creating structures that allow good work to happen consistently and at scale.
She holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and is an Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Fellow.
When speaking about joining the team, Christie shared “Sandy Hook Promise’s mission is deeply meaningful to me. As a parent, I understand how important it is that young people feel connected, supported, and seen — and how critical it is for the adults around them to recognize when someone IS struggling and know how to respond. I am honored to help strengthen the operational foundation that allows Sandy Hook Promise to continue expanding that impact nationwide.”
About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise is a nonpartisan organization that was founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Sandy Hook Promise is dedicated to preventing gun violence and creating a culture of inclusivity, safety, respect, and kindness in schools and communities across the United States.
Sandy Hook Promise Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that offers a range of evidence-informed programs and initiatives designed to empower youth, educators, and community members to recognize the signs preceding violence and to take steps to prevent it. Their programs include educational resources for schools, youth leadership programs, and community-based campaigns to raise awareness of the impacts of gun violence.
Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) that champions a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization.
Through its work, Sandy Hook Promise aims to build a movement of individuals and organizations committed to promoting gun safety, mental health awareness, and social and emotional learning. The organization has received widespread support from educators, parents, and lawmakers, as well as celebrities and public figures, and continues to play a vital role in the national conversation around gun violence prevention.
Learn more about Sandy Hook Promise here.
About Pillar Search & HR Consulting: A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.
