NORTH BEND, WA NOVEMBER 25, 2014 – Nela Cumming has been chosen to lead Encompass as Executive Director. For the past five months, Cumming has been the Interim Executive Director and served in Encompass staff leadership roles for six years, most recently as the Director of Pediatric Therapy. She has been deeply involved in the pediatric therapy services provided by Encompass and has more than 25 years of experience in social services in addition to being an involved parent in the community.

“I am honored to serve as the Executive Director at Encompass, an organization that epitomizes my passion for helping children thrive,” Cumming said. “For nearly 50 years, Encompass has served the children and families of the Snoqualmie Valley and surrounding areas, providing the highest quality early childhood education and therapy services available anywhere. I am so proud of all we have accomplished and excited for the future ahead!”

Cumming replaces Gregory Malcom, who resigned in June to take on a fundraising role at the Swedish Medical Center Foundation after 12 years with the organization. Both Cumming and Malcom are long-time North Bend residents as well as parents and Encompass benefits from the continuation of those deep relationships regionally.

“This is an exciting time for Encompass. We are positioned well in many ways to grow and prosper for the benefit of those children and families we serve,” stated Steve Weaver, Board President of Encompass. “With Nela’s knowledge of the organization, her passion to excel and her zeal for action, Nela is uniquely qualified to lead us.”

A vision she has as the new Executive Director is to make the services Encompass provides available to anyone in the community regardless of ability to pay by expanding uncompensated care for pediatric therapy clients.

Her resume demonstrates a depth of knowledge and leadership in nonprofit organizations including Children’s Home Society of Washington, The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (Bronx, NY), The Children’s Village (Dobbs Ferry, NY) and the Helen Ross McNabb Center (Knoxville, TN). Additionally she was a Head Start – Johnson & Johnson Management Fellow at the UCLA Anderson School of Business and earned a masters (Magna Cum Laude) and bachelors of science in social work from the University of Tennessee. Cumming recalls she was 9 years old when she knew she wanted to be a social worker.

ENCOMPASS is an independent, non-profit organization established in 1966 with a mission to nurture children, enrich families and inspire community. Children and families thrive through our education and pediatric therapy programs. Our expert staff is committed to applying best practices and innovative strategies to early childhood education and therapy programs. We serve the Snoqualmie Valley, Issaquah, Sammamish and greater Eastside. Follow Encompass on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

CONTACT Colleen Burin, Marketing and Communications Encompass colleen.burin@encompassnw.org 404.513.8720

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