Care to Learn restructures board

For the first time since its 2007 founding, Care to Learn has a new board president.

Founder Doug Pitt vacated the role – but not the organization – in a move he calls stepping “across” the boardroom table.

“This is something I’ve been thinking about for more than a year and it should have been done a while ago from a procedural standpoint,” he said. “We need people outside of me making decisions.”

In what amounts to a board restructuring of a single seat, Pitt now will function as president emeritus of the nonprofit that provides for the health, hunger and hygiene needs of Missouri school children. Currently, the 10-member board rotates officers – such as vice president – on a yearly basis. The role of president now will join that cycle.

Stepping in as president is founding board member and Springfield lawyer Jerry Harmison Jr., who practices at Harmison & Pearman PC, a workers’ compensation defense firm.

“Doug is the forward face of this organization,” Harmison said. “If I can take the board lead, that frees Doug up to be out there. As we grow chapters, the need for outreach only continues to grow.”

Through an 18-month strategic plan to add 10 chapters, Care to Learn has grown to 32 chapters, according to Executive Director Linda Ramey-Greiwe. Kicking off in January 2016 and running through June, Pitt said the nonprofit is on track to exceed its goal.

“I’ve always run Care to Learn like a business and we are looking for smart, controlled growth, not just growth for numbers sake,” he said. “We are on track to be above 10 chapters. We have the ability to pivot if needed, but we also know if it feels forced we won’t push it.”

With a fiscal 2017 budget of $1.65 million, the organization has aided students roughly 650,000 times though December. For Pitt, he would help more if he could.

“I want to add 100 more chapters. But I need the board there to say, ‘No, but how about 10?’” he said. “They provide those realistic standards. A significant infrastructure must be in place in each district before we launch.”

Pitt said growth outside of the Show-Me State is a possibility but not in the immediate game plan. He noted the easiest path would be expansion into northwest Arkansas, then up north of Kansas City.

Relinquishing the presidential role gives Pitt a chance to step back, take a breath and make sure the house is in order, he said. Chosen by group consensus on the board, Pitt knew Harmison was the man for the job.

This is far from Harmison’s first stint leading a board. The attorney served as chairman of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce leading up to its national Chamber of the Year designation, and he was a six-year board member with Springfield Public Schools.

A volunteer board position – or “reverse paid” as Pitt calls it, meaning all board members are Care to Learn donors – Harmison will continue his law work as well as Float Trip Pickles LLC. The food venture co-owned with law partner Greg Pearman produces three products for 65 Missouri stores and also ships to more than 20 states.

“I get a lot of credit for things, but it’s really a collaborative effort,” Pitt said. “This new structure better reflects the solid business leadership we have on our board.”

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