March 2, 2023

Dear Chess in the Schools Community,

After nearly seven years, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Debbie Eastburn will be retiring from her role this summer. We are grateful for Debbie’s years of service and commitment to our organization, especially throughout the pandemic. Please see a message from Debbie below.

The Board of Directors has formed a special committee to steer our search process for the next leader. As always, our top priority is to ensure the Chess in the Schools community continues to enjoy the dynamic and impactful programming you expect from our organization.

We look forward to conducting a thorough and inclusive search to find the right leader to guides us in our next chapter. We have engaged an executive search firm, Sandler Search, to partner with us on this important endeavor. Here is a link to the position description on our website.
We appreciate the ongoing support of the community and welcome any recommendations or questions you might have throughout this transition.

Sincerely yours,

Mark Maher
Board Chair
Chess in the Schools
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March 2, 2023

Dear Chess in the Schools Community,

After seven wonderful “school years” with Chess in the Schools, I will retire in June 2023. Over this time, we have served over 60,000 children with classroom chess, after-school chess clubs, chess tournaments, and college access support services, all provided free to underserved young people. I am tremendously proud of our inspiring students, our gifted instructors, and our devoted staff. The board of Chess in the Schools has skillfully guided us all along the way and will ably lead the organization in identifying an outstanding new leader. I am preparing the organization for its next President, and I am committed to being an enduring supporter.

Our motto here is “helping kids grow, one move at a time.” Indeed, chess helps children learn intellectually, socially, and emotionally. I see it every time I visit a class or a tournament. I see kids pause and ponder, visualizing their options before deciding on a strategy. I see kids rush to move hastily only to recognize a missed opportunity. I see them recover and find a way out of a tight spot with triumph. They learn to value thinking before acting. Winning a game or even a trophy is, of course, their goal, but we’re rooting for them to make lots of blunders in order to build their resilience. Our ultimate goal for them is to thrive in whatever they do – in chess, in school, at home, in college, in career, and in life.

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to bring the power of chess to kids that deserve more of everything, especially more choices and chances. Thank you for your role in creating opportunities for these young people who all share the common language of chess. They are strong across the chessboard, and even stronger beyond the chessboard, thanks to you!

Sincerely yours,

Debbie Eastburn
President & CEO
Chess in the Schools