Empower Youth Network (EYN) will welcome Max Harrison as the new Executive Director beginning May 1, 2024. Harrison will replace long-term Executive Director Laura Smith, who announced her departure from EYN in November 2023 after leading the organization since 2012.
Harrison recently served as the executive director at the Arts Council of Tamworth (ACT), NH until 2024 and previously as Community Engagement Manager for The Leonardo Museum, Salt Lake City, UT.
During his leadership at ACT, he led a restructuring process that diversified revenue streams, increased revenue, and developed an endowment. He also developed pipeline programs for underserved populations and cultivated active community partnerships as the Community Engagement Manager for The Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City, UT. Additionally, Harrison worked with Promise South Salt Lake, focused on supervising STEM programming for over 4,000
Title-1 K-12 students. He has also spent time as a lecturer at the University of Colorado, Boulder, facilitating courses for the STEM science discovery program.
Harrison’s educational background is in Communications, with a minor in Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder,
and a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Auburn University.
“Max will be a wonderful asset for Empower Youth Network,” said Molly Jensen, president of the EYN Board of Directors. “He has experience with financial operations and management coupled with an adept style of communication that fosters connection. These combined skills will help us move to the next level of growth as an organization.”
Laura Smith, current EYN Executive Director, adds, “I’m genuinely excited to pass the torch to our new executive director, Max
Harrison. His diverse experience across multiple nonprofit organizations promises to enrich Empower Youth Network’s impact.”
Empower Youth Network’s mission is focused on supporting youth in living safe, healthy, and successful lives. As executive director, Harrison will continue this mission by building and maintaining partnerships and relationships within the Snoqualmie Valley community and the Eastside. “Stepping into the role of Executive Director at EYN, I am humbled by the strength of our team and the unwavering worthiness of our mission. It is an honor to lead our efforts in continuing to open doors to multi- generational opportunity and purpose for both the current and future community members we serve,” said Harrison.
Learn more about EYN and its programs here: http://empoweryouthnetwork.org/.
