Program emulates Harlem Children's Zone and targets some 2,500 kids from birth through college

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For more information, visit eastdurhamchildrensinitiative.org and www.ccfhnc.org/

From staff reports

DURHAM -- David Reese of Durham has been named the first director of the East Durham Children's Initiative.

Focusing on some 2,500 children who live in East Durham, the EDCI is working to create a pipeline of services there centered on the neighborhood's three schools, beginning at birth and culminating with success in college or career. The EDCI is modeled after the highly successful Harlem Children's Zone and is a program of the Center for Child and Family Health (CCFH), a community-university consortium dedicated to evidence-based solutions for children whose potential is compromised by adversity or trauma.

The consortium includes Duke University, N.C. Central University, UNC Chapel Hill, Child & Parent Support Se3rvices and the community.

Ellen Reckow, vice chairwoman of the Durham County Board of Commissioners and a member of the EDCI leadership council, said in an e-mailed statement, "hiring David Reese brings a level of confidence to the Initiative--ensuring that it will achieve its desired outcomes by engaging the East Durham community in the process. I am thrilled to have such a formidable committed leader assume the reins of the initiative."

Other EDCI leaders including Durham Public Schools Board of Education Chairwoman Minnie Forte-Brown, City of Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board Chairman Barker French and Durham Together for Resilient Youth (Durham TRY) co-founder Wanda Boone.

The schools involved in East Durham are Y.E. Smith Museum School, Neal Middle School and Southern High School. The Holton Career and Resource Center is a hub for the initiative.

Reese, a longtime East Durham resident, said, "It is a marvelous opportunity to work with the community to impact the lives of the children in East Durham. I believe in maximizing the potential of the children of Durham and feel extremely fortunate that I have been given this honor. The values of EDCI align with my commitment to make Durham one of the best places in our country."

Reese, a former Harlem resident, and his wife Iris chose Durham as a place to raise their three children because, they said, the city has tremendous potential and offers the values and environment they sought to afford their children the most opportunity for their future success. Over the past decade Reese has been active in the Durham community, serving as three-term president of his homeowners association, chairman of the United Way of the Greater Triangle's Durham Executive Council, and co-chairman of the Partnership for a Healthy Durham and the Obesity and Chronic Illness committee.

He is a mentor and coach for the AAU United Celtics basketball team. His concern for the well-being of the Durham community inspires him to be involved and work to make a difference in the lives of his neighbors.

Reese holds a bachelor's degree from the City College of New York and a master's degree in business administration from Capella University. He is the former chief operating officer of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and a leader in the food banking industry. Reese comes to EDCI with more than 20 years of experience working with low-income communities and families.

"This partnership is a natural fit for the Center as well as for the Durham community," said CCFH Executive Director Robert Murphy. "EDCI bridges the strength of Durham's neighborhoods and their residents with the expertise that we have in Durham about effective ways to improve the lives of children. This is a tremendous opportunity for all of us to expand opportunities and hope across Durham. At CCFH, we are happy to have David as a member of our team and to be a part of this endeavor."

Staff writers Mark Donovan and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan contributed to this report.