The Board of America SCORES is delighted to announce that we have named Icy Kenneth Jones to be America SCORES’ Executive Director.
A former public school teacher, Icy has devoted his career to advancing equity and creating opportunities for BIPOC children. He brings to America SCORES extensive experience building and scaling youth development programs across the U.S. and abroad, as well as leading change and executing strategy, plus a deep and abiding passion for America SCORES’ mission and values. Icy has held leadership roles in numerous education, nonprofit, and government agencies. Most recently, he served as the Director of Policy for the Maryland Department of Human Services Social Services Administration, where he helped protect vulnerable children from abuse while empowering families to stay together, reunite, heal and thrive.
Equally important, Icy knows firsthand how meaningful America SCORES’ unique combination of high-quality mentor relationships, supportive teams, poetry writing and performance, team sports, and community activism can be to poet-athletes’ health, wellbeing, education, and life trajectories. In Icy’s own words,
“I am excited to lead America SCORES because I am unabashedly passionate about empowering marginalized populations so they have greater agency over their lives and communities. I’ve dedicated my entire professional life to that pursuit. I was born and raised in inner-city Philadelphia and was one of those “at-risk” youth. My saving grace was exposure to the kind of positive activities and supportive networks that America SCORES provides.”
The appointment of a full-time Executive Director reflects America SCORES’ commitment to continue growing our impact and reach while remaining deeply embedded in and connected to, the communities our poet-athletes live in. Over the last several years America SCORES has strengthened our grassroots network, solidified our financial foundation, and elevated our position in the international sports- and arts-for-youth-development sectors– putting us on a path to scale to serve more young people and to generate sustainable new revenue to do so. We are confident that Icy is the ideal leader for this next phase.
Consonant with this transition, the Network President role will sunset at the end of this month. All of us at America SCORES are deeply grateful to Network President Bethany Rubin Henderson for so ably leading us through a five-year period of constant change, with a steady hand and visionary eye. Bethany has been a tireless advocate for America SCORES and a vocal champion for our poet-athletes and coaches. We are stronger for her leadership.
As we look ahead, we invite you to continue to be a partner in America SCORES and our poet-athletes’ journeys. Icy is eager to get to know, and learn from, all who care about our young people. Please feel free to reach out to Icy directly to share your hopes and vision for America SCORES: icy@americascores.org
In teamwork,
Corwin A. Thomas
Board Chair