After leading the organization for more than a decade and positively impacting thousands of lives, Cynthia Langley, executive director for Partners Advancing Student Success (PASS), has announced that she will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Langley was integral in the establishment of PASS, formerly Communities in Schools, in Carroll County in 2012. Through her tenure, the organization has remained focused on improving student success by providing support and services to students with the ultimate goal of increasing graduation rates and keeping students on track to finish high school. PASS advocates work within the local high schools to ensure students have access to this needed assistance. Nearly 35,000 students have received support from the work of PASS in some way since its inception. During the 2020-21 school year, PASS served 215 students in the Carroll County and Carrollton City school systems on a case level basis. Of those students, the graduation rate for seniors was 98%.
“The past ten years have been an incredible journey, and I can truly say this has been the most fulfilling professional experience I’ve had in my lifetime,” said Langley. “We have transformed ourselves in such a way that we have been able to make an even greater impact on students in the local public school districts. While bittersweet for me, this is an exciting time for PASS, as the leadership transition will create a powerful opportunity to lean into the ongoing, good work of the organization to even further inspire and influence our local students.”
Langley notes that the level of student success the organization has seen in its first decade would not be possible without the dedication and support of the student advocates, PASS staff, volunteers, community partners, donors and an exceptionally strong board of directors, which she notes, “is in the best place it has ever been.”
“While I cannot fully describe the magnitude of the work Cynthia has done and the impact she has had on our community, I can extend my gratitude,” said Jerome Johnston, PASS board chair. “Her passion to serve our community has helped change the lives of thousands of students, in turn strengthening families and bettering our community. On behalf of the board, I want to publicly thank Cynthia for the blood, sweat, tears and time she has invested into creating a meaningful and sustainable way to serve our local students.”
As the organization prepares for Langley’s retirement, the PASS Board of Directors has begun the search for its next leader and has posted the open position for Executive Director. Applications will be accepted through April 25, and the organization expects to name its next executive director by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Through the transition, Langley will serve in an advisory role to her successor.
“Many people don’t realize the impact they can have on a person just by believing in them, and that’s what PASS is all about,” said Langley. “PASS’s next Executive Director will have the opportunity to work with a talented advocate staff and a deeply committed board of directors to spark and support positive change in innovative ways for our students. He or she will be stepping into a strong, resilient and adaptable organization that is poised to play an even more significant role in creating a skilled workforce for Carroll County.”
To learn more about the open Executive Director position, visit https://www.passwestga.org/jobopenings or email [email protected]. To learn more about PASS and its mission to serve local students, visit https://www.passwestga.org or follow Partners Advancing Student Success on Facebook and Instagram. For more information about how to donate and further the mission of PASS, visit https://www.passwestga.org/donate.
