Executive Director Celine Kuhn Announces Fall 2021 Departure

After nearly five years of joy as The Telling Room’s executive director, I have come to the decision that it is time to step aside to spend time with my family and invite in a new leader for the organization. Countless hours of reflection and conversations with my family, my closest confidants—and most importantly, myself—have helped me know that the time is right, and I will be leaving in the fall of 2021.

My plan is to work with the board to find the very lucky and highly qualified individual who will become the new Executive Director so that they are fully ensconced, supported, and ready to helm the ship before I leave. We will have a thorough search for a candidate with passion for youth voices, writing, publishing, racial equity, and justice.

I want to assure you that The Telling Room is in a strong financial and organizational position. The board has a transition plan in place and has contracted with Reflector Lab, a consulting firm with a passion for youth literary arts that helps organizations align values with strategy, to conduct the ED search process. We anticipate that a new ED will be in place by the end of September, and I will stay on to help with the onboarding process. I am so excited to introduce them to all of you!  

There will be no interruption in programs or activities and The Telling Room will continue to thrive as a leader in youth arts education.

We’ve been so very fortunate and grateful to count you among our community, and I hope your support of The Telling Room and our amazing students will continue for many years to come.

I want to share a little story with you…

When I walked into The Telling Room in 2009 to drop my daughter off at her first Word Play session, I hovered in the hallway and watched. The space was still rough around the edges and not quite finished, but it was magic. Some kids were writing. Some were chatting. There were snacks. Bean bag chairs and lots of books. Lilly, who was struggling mightily with writing, was nervous about trying something new with people she didn't know. But, she warmed right up, and guess what? She started writing, and she has never stopped. The Telling Room freed up that writer's block, and the next thing I knew, she was writing about whether the fanny pack should make a comeback or not. Need I say more? That is just one of the many reasons I love The Telling Room.

I joined the board shortly after and knew that I had found a true passion. I wanted to be at The Telling Room as much as possible, to immerse myself in all of the words and stories and to learn about the students and the staff. 

And when the opportunity came to take on the Executive Director role, I was both scared and excited. It has been an amazing run. During this time, we accomplished more than I ever dreamed we would and could alongside the very best colleagues and students! Being the Executive Director of The Telling Room has truly been the best professional experience of my life. Working with students and staff has filled my heart and soul. I cannot wait to see what comes next for The Telling Room, and I will always remain connected!  

Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions or if you’d like to find a time to talk. 

With gratitude, 

Celine Kuhn
Executive Director
celine@tellingroom.org
she/her/hers

Read the Board of Directors’ message regarding Celine’s departure here.

View the Executive Director job posting here.