E. Banks- headshot Cropped

Erin Banks Named New Chief Impact Officer of Helping Education

From Staff Reports
(October 25, 2022)

We are excited to announce that Dr. Erin Banks has been named the Chief Impact Officer at Helping Education, leading our Charlotte office. As the CIO, Dr. Banks will aim to bolster impact throughout the Charlotte region, while expanding learnings across our organization.

“We are extremely excited to announce and welcome Dr. Erin Banks as our new Chief Impact Officer, focusing on our Charlotte office and relationships with our strategic partners,” said William D. Gibson, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. “Erin has lived and worked in the Charlotte region for years and has served as the Vice Chair of our organization’s board of directors and as a member of our Charlotte Advisory Committee. She brings extensive experience and knowledge to this new role, and we are beyond thrilled to have her join the team in this new capacity,” Gibson added.

Helping Education was founded as a 501c3 in 2011 by John Begeny and began with an all-volunteer staff. Since then, Helping Education has strengthened and expanded its programmatic focus within and beyond North Carolina. While engaged in the Research Triangle, Charlotte, Guilford County, and in the Eastern counties of Bladen, Cumberland, and Harnett, the organization has programs that have reached all 50 states. Helping Education programs also are being used in more than 60 countries around the globe. These opportunities are largely the result of impact with two of their 11 programs: HELPS (Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies) and PASTEL (Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning). Most recently, and through strategic partnerships with Read Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Heart Math Tutoring, Augustine Literacy Project, and Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, Helping Education has been engaged in the collaborative effort of Tutor Charlotte to help increase the number of volunteer tutors and to easily connect Charlotte-area volunteers with effective tutoring organizations such as Helping Education.

Dr. Banks now joins more directly in this good work happening in the Charlotte region, taking on a key leadership role. She comes to Helping Education after having served as the Assistant Dean for the inaugural Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC).

“I am excited to join Helping Education as the Chief Impact Officer for the Charlotte region and work with our community partners, school and district leaders and outstanding staff,” expressed Banks. “It is a privilege to be a part of an organization that strives to create access and open doors for all children and families, regardless of socioeconomic status,” added Banks.

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Banks has been committed to promoting access, equity, and equality in educational systems through innovative programming and strategic interventions. She has served many years in higher education as an administrator. Prior to serving as the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Research at UNCC, Banks was the director of the $5.7M NIH Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program and the ARRA supplement for students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences at North Carolina State University. Dr. Banks has created innovative high impact practices that have transformed students’ academic experience through hands-on research training, outstanding mentoring, and professional development. She is also engaged in civic and community outreach initiatives that empower communities and families.

“I am an advocate for equity and inclusion,” stated Banks. “As a leader in higher education, I am keenly aware of the importance of quality education on the career trajectory and long-term opportunities for our youth and I am looking forward to leveraging this passion in a new way with Helping Education,” concluded Banks.

Dr. Banks begins her position on November 7th.