Dr. Shirley Leew Appointed as SSTC’s New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Smart Start of Transylvania County (SSTC) has announced the appointment of Dr. Shirley Leew, PhD as the new Executive Director of SSTC.
Dr. Leew brings to SSTC a robust and diverse professional background with many years of experience in early childhood clinical practice, education and research. With a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Washington State University, she worked with children and families as a pediatric speech language pathologist before pursuing her PhD in Early Childhood Special Education at Vanderbilt University. She has been an assistant professor at Utah State University, adjunct professor at the University of Alberta, and lecturer in pediatrics and family medicine at the University of Calgary. As senior research scientist and director of a research support team for a public health services organization she led, participated in, mentored, and published early childhood research projects. Her personal research interests are the early identification of, and early interventions for, language development challenges.
Dr. Leew’s knowledge of needs in the early years for lifelong health, wellness, and development fits with SSTC’s commitment to improving global outcomes for all children. She is skilled in grant writing, with success procuring funding for non-profit organizations. Her experience in managing grants, along with an interest in establishing holistic, creative approaches for prioritizing children’s well-being, align with SSTC’s drive to pursue new and innovative projects and partnerships that will benefit young children.
Expressing a heartfelt connection to SSTC’s work, she is committed to Smart Start’s vision of North Carolina communities where every child has support and opportunities to thrive. Dr. Leew supports the mission of SSTC to provide access to quality early beginnings for all children in Transylvania County. “I believe that solid beginnings are the best intervention. I admire SSTC’s dedication to innovation and growth. I anticipate this position will provide me a unique opportunity to apply my passion, experience and knowledge for SSTC’s continued success.”
SSTC is a non-profit organization that is part of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, a nationally recognized, award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. SSTC’s current program focus areas include infancy development, early literacy, home-based child care, early education workforce development, home-visiting, support for unhoused children, and more. For more information about SSTC and its mission, visit smartstarttransylvania.org
