Letter from CEO

Dear friends,

Welcome to BELL! I hope you have had the opportunity to learn more about our organization and our impact on children and schools while visiting the website.

It has been an honor to be part of the leadership team that has helped BELL grow to educate over 35,000 scholars since its inception. After 17 years of devotion, my friend and mentor, Earl Martin Phalen, is stepping down as the CEO of BELL. It is with the greatest honor that I step into the Chief Executive role. As the proud new leader of BELL, I am eager to continue the legacy of excellence that Earl established. I am deeply appreciative of the investment from our partners and the commitment from our staff and parents, and I am extremely proud of the achievements of our scholars.

BELL is coming off our strongest summer ever:

We continue to both deepen and expand our partnership with school districts and schools, and our 2008-2009 after school program launch has been extremely successful.

This is a challenging time for our nation -- an economic crisis, war, and domestic issues. We are particularly grateful for your support in times like this. Our scholars need us more than ever, and I hope you will find a way to double your efforts and support us in being an even greater organization for children and families.

Thank you,

Tiffany Cooper Gueye, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer