After Building a Successful Organization, Founder and CEO Kristina Cruise is Stepping Down
It is with mixed emotions that Promising Pages’ Board of Directors announces that its Founder and CEO, Kristina Cruise, stepped down effective December 31, 2018. Since creating Promising Pages about eight years ago, Kristina has worked tirelessly to build and grow the organization. Due in large part to Kristina’s vision, courage, sacrifice and passion, the organization is well-positioned to continue to thrive under the continued leadership of its President, Eric Law.
“I have the greatest respect for Kristina. Many people have a great idea, but few have the courage and drive to actually bring it to fruition,” said Ed Rosenblatt, interim Board Co-Chair. “As anyone that has met her knows, Kristina’s passion is contagious. Her passion is at the core of this organization and will continue to motivate us to serve our community’s disadvantaged children.”
“While we will miss her greatly, through her vision, Kristina has created a legacy that will continue to grow, expand and get books into the hands of children who need them,” says Kristin Prentice, interim Board Co-Chair.
While Kristina will be taking some well-deserved time off to focus on herself and her family, she will still be one of the organization’s most passionate advocates. We look forward to possible opportunities in the future to partner with Kristina as we strive to eliminate Charlotte’s Book Desert.
Kristina adds the following sentiments: “Promising Pages will always be in my heart. The organization was born from my own deeply personal passion for children. Over the years, both Promising Pages as well as my own heart have grown tremendously.
As I look back on my time as ED and CEO, I’ve been immensely blessed to have been molded and nurtured by so many wonderful individuals and organizations. Thank you. You have brought out the best in me and helped me become the leader that I always hoped I could be. I carry a special debt of gratitude to Mr. Kent Moss. During our 25-year friendship, Kent believed in me the way that I believe in the children we serve. Unfortunately, my dear friend passed away just two days before Christmas this year. He was just 40 years old. Together we share a legacy in Promising Pages, a legacy that will last for generations and better this world in ways that we can only begin to imagine right now.”
Since its inception, Promising Pages has upcycled more than 600,000 books to thousands of the estimated 60,000 underserved children across the Charlotte area growing up with few, if any, books of their own. These books are redistributed both through our unique programs – Bookworm Bootcamp and Books on Break – designed to create an excitement for books and a love of reading, as well as through our more than 50 partnerships with other nonprofit organizations.