LOS ANGELES, CA (June 10, 2022) – Today, First 5 LA’s Executive Director, Kim Belshé announced she will be stepping down from her leadership role at the end of this year.
In 2012, Kim Belshé was named Executive Director, leading First 5 LA’s mission to improve systems to create greater impact and meaningful change for the future of young children and their families in L.A. County. Throughout her career in state government, philanthropy, and childhood advocacy, Kim’s constant has been a deep and abiding commitment to public service. Recognized as a leader in public policy, Kim’s more than 30-year career in public policy has included leadership roles at state, philanthropy and county levels.
To read the blog post by Kim Belshé, Executive Director at First 5 LA, click here: Grateful for the Opportunity to Serve L.A. County’s Young Children and Families.
First 5 LA’s Board Chair, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, offered the following statement on Kim Belshé’s leadership:
“Kim brought an innovative vision laser focused on creating brighter futures for all of L.A. County’s children, not only for today, but for the future. She set the direction for what First 5 LA is today – an agency leading the way on systems change, enhancing the power of county partnerships to create meaningful and long-lasting change for our youngest children and their families.
For nearly seven years, I have seen First 5 LA grow and evolve as an organization, with Kim at the helm, leading in innovative and collaborative ways to address the often ignored urgency of early childhood development issues. Most recently, through the unprecedented years of the pandemic, Kim’s unwavering commitment, steadfast leadership and public health experience guided First 5 LA in continuing to support our communities, children, families and service providers when they needed it the most.
I want to express my deepest appreciation and thanks for Kim’s commitment, leadership and passion for the work. She will leave an enduring legacy at First 5 LA, and, because of that legacy, I’m confident the organization will remain committed to achieving the greatest impact for L.A. County’s youngest children and their families.”
As outlined in the recent board-approved Executive Succession Plan, First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners Executive Committee in consultation with First 5 LA’s legal counsel, will serve as the search committee to appoint a new Executive Director.
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About First 5 LA
As the state’s largest funder of early childhood, First 5 LA works to strengthen systems, parents and communities so that children are ready to succeed in school and life. An independent public agency, First 5 LA’s goal is to support the safe and healthy development of young children so that by 2028, all children in L.A. County will enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. Learn more at www.first5la.org for latest news and information, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
