Kelly Brush Foundation Announces Edie Perkins as New Executive Director
BURLINGTON, Vt. (Jan 7, 2021)— The Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF) is thrilled to announce Edie Perkins will become the organization’s new Executive Director. Edie brings to KBF 20+ years of business management, marketing, and sales experience in education technology. She is also an accomplished adaptive athlete with deep understanding of the opportunities to empower those with spinal cord injuries to lead active lives. Edie succeeds Zeke Davisson, who will join the KBF’s board of directors after six years leading the organization.
Edie has experienced first-hand the power of sports after a life-changing spinal cord injury. She is a competitive and accomplished endurance athlete, placing 25th in the 2005 Boston Marathon. In 2017 she was struck by a car on a morning bike ride, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. Edie bounced back from her spinal cord injury and in three years became an advocate for the newly injured through volunteer work at Triumph Foundation and Challenged Athletes Foundation. She also joined a national women’s paracycling team and placed 3rd in the 2019 Criterium National Championships.
Edie will lead the next phase of the KBF’s strategic growth to scale and deepen its mission impact. Prior to joining the KBF Edie launched and managed a new business unit within Scholastic International and ran the Scholastic Export business, a $25-million business unit.
“Ever since completing my rehabilitation after my spinal cord injury, my dream has been finding a career that brings together my business experience, my passion for sports, and my new experience living with a spinal cord injury” said incoming Executive Director Edie Perkins. “Joining the KBF’s incredible team and board to help others thrive is making that dream come true.”
“I am really looking forward to working with Edie. We have so much in common as athletic women with spinal cord injuries, and she brings an entirely new set of professional skills and experience to the team” said Kelly Brush. “Her personal connection to the KBF mission will help her create strong relationships with the incredible community that has formed around the organization since my injury in 2006.”
“Edie has distinguished herself as a successful business leader and team builder, important assets to the KBF as we continue to expand our mission to help every person with a spinal cord injury along the path from injury to independence” said KBF Board member and Search Committee Chair Don Rendall. “Edie will lead a strong KBF team as they take the KBF to the next level while remaining true to the organization’s roots.”
About the Kelly Brush Foundation
The Kelly Brush Foundation is a dynamic and growing Burlington, Vermont-based non-profit inspiring and empowering people with spinal cord injuries to be active and works closely with the alpine ski racing community to improve safety. The Kelly Brush Foundation was founded in 2006 by Kelly and her family after Kelly sustained a spinal cord injury while racing in an NCAA alpine ski race. To date the Kelly Brush Foundation has awarded more than 1,064 adaptive equipment grants to people in 48 states.
