SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy CEO Steps Down
April 1, 2016
SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Begins New Executive Search
COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (SC Campaign) announced today that Chief Executive Officer Forrest Alton will be leaving his position effective July 15, 2016. After more than 15 years with the organization, including the last nine serving as the CEO, Alton will transition and will be focusing his time on launching a private consulting firm.
“It is bittersweet for us to announce this transition,” said Sue Rex, Chair of the SC Campaign’s Board of Directors. “Forrest has been a significant part of the SC Campaign for more than 15 years and has made a tremendous contribution in both growing our organization and helping to significantly reduce the teen birth rate in South Carolina.”
Founded in 1994 to combat increasingly high rates of teen pregnancy in our state, the SC Campaign exists in mission to improve the health and economic well-being of individuals, communities, and the state of South Carolina by preventing teen pregnancy. Since 1991, the teen birth rate in South Carolina has fallen by 61%. Rates have declined among all age groups, all races, and in all 46 counties. Despite this significant progress, much work remains on this critical issue as more than 4,200 young women under the age of 20 gave birth in South Carolina last year.
“To leave an organization when we are truly ‘on top of our game’ is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made,” said Alton. “After much thought and discussion with friends and family, I have decided that the time is right for both the organization and me to look forward to our next challenges. I leave having zero doubt that the SC Campaign team is fully capable of leading our organization into the future and continuing the great progress that has been made. I will be cheering them on and doing everything I can to support their work as I continue to personally focus on issues that are critical to the success of this state.”
The executive search firm of Isaacson, Miller has already begun their work with the SC Campaign Board of Directors to recruit and hire a new CEO. The SC Campaign board is committed to identifying a leader who can build on the organization’s 22 years of success, and help transition a well-established and nationally recognized team into the next phase of growth and success. Interested candidates should reach out to Isaacson, Miller directly via www.imsearch.com/searches/details/content/S5-774.
Full statement from board chair: www.teenpregnancysc.org/statement-board-chair-sue-rex
About the South Carolina Campaign:
The mission of the SC Campaign is to improve the health and economic well-being of individuals, communities and the state of South Carolina by preventing teen pregnancy. To achieve its mission, the SC Campaign works with a variety of programs – public, private, school and community based – in all regions of the state. For more information on this news release, county specific teen birth data or general inquiries please visit www.teenpregnancysc.org.
