Sisu in Gainesville announced Tuesday morning Dr. Ashley Carter will serve as its new executive director.
The announcement follows an interim year where Carla Baker and Gloria Farrell served as interim co-executive directors.
Dr. Carter has more than ten years of experience in both education and healthcare through her time at Brenau University and Northeast Georgia Health System.
“I am honored that Sisu’s Board of Directors have placed their faith in me to serve as Executive Director," Dr. Carter said in a press release from Sisu. "I truly believe in Sisu’s mission to serve children and their families, and I hope through my experience and knowledge Sisu will continue to build on the success of those who preceded me."
Sisu, formerly named Challenged Child and Friends, is the Finnish term for indomitable spirit. The organization said it kept its doors open throughout the pandemic and served over 260 children in the 2021-2022 school year. Sisu serves all students from 6 weeks to 6 years. The organization emphasizes the importance of serving special needs students alongside their typically-developing peers.
“Without Sisu’s incredible staff, administration, students, families, supporters, and community partners, we wouldn’t have known what the center was truly capable of these past few years," Dr. Kelly Lathem, co-chair of Sisu’s Board of Directors, said. "The resilience and grit graced by all really showed the community the true meaning of Sisu."
More information about Sisu can be found here.
Editor's note: An original version of this story misidentified the students that Sisu serves. The story has been updated to correct that error.
