Communities In Schools of NC Leader To Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award from NC State University

(Raleigh, NC) November 11, 2007 – Linda Harrill, president and chief executive officer of Communities In Schools of NC (CISNC), has been selected to receive the 2007 College of Education Distinguished Alumna Award by North Carolina State University.

A longtime educator in North Carolina, Harrill was selected for the award due to the significant contribution she has made in the community and her profession. Harrill has served as head of CISNC for the past nineteen years. Prior to heading up one of the state’s largest community and education partnerships, Harrill taught middle and high school in addition to serving as a training coordinator for Adolescent Special Education Projects at NC State University.

In her work with CISNC, she has overseen the replication of the CIS process across the state, has worked closely with business, community and political leaders and has earned the respect of other non-profit organizations, agencies and politicians.

“I can’t think of an alumna more deserving of this distinction,” said Dr. Barbara Parramore, former Department Head of Curriculum & Instruction at the NCSU College of Education. “Linda has a great talent for understanding people and motivating them to go above and beyond what they believe they can do. She is a true educator in every sense of the word.”

Harrill will be presented with the awards at the Annual Evening of Stars Gala which celebrates the winners of all the College Distinguished Alumni Awards along with the Alumni Association Awards. The NC State Alumni Association holds the awards gala annually to celebrate the contributions made by alumni to their career fields, communities and alma mater.

About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools has earned its place as the nation’s leading community-based organization helping kids succeed in school and prepare for life. There are 37 local operational programs in North Carolina serving over 400 schools and other sites. During the past school year, CIS served over 80,000 children and family members and it maintains a presence in the five largest school districts in the State. For more information on CISNC visit www.cisnc.org.