Julie Bailey has been selected as the new executive director of the Bethlehem Area Education Foundation.

As a separate non-profit organization, the foundation works in unison with the Bethlehem district for the past 15 years to generate funding for grants and programming.

"Since its inception, the BAEF mission has been to provide enrichment and support for programs that complement the educational journey for students of the district, said current BAEF President Mollie Santee. "We are pleased to welcome Ms. Bailey to help grow the foundation and extend its impact on public education in our district."

The foundation's board of trustees is comprised of volunteer community members that collaborate with district administrators to provide funding opportunities that support creativity and innovation in classrooms. Last year, the foundation awarded grants to fund a collaborative Art Mosaic project, a courtyard garden at East Hills MS, and the Furry Friends reading program in the first cycle of Teacher Innovation Grants. Bailey will be announcing the recipients of the 2014-15 teacher innovation grant awards in early December.

Bailey's professional experience in sales provides her with the strategic planning and budget analysis skills that are invaluable to the foundation's fundraising goals. Moreover, Bailey has ample philanthropic experience, including holding positions as Hanover ES's PTA treasurer and Scholastic Book Fair chairperson, Cub Scout Pack 368 membership chair, and board member for J's Run, which raises awareness for pancreatic cancer.

Bailey was recently honored as one of the top 100 fundraisers for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

"I really look forward to increasing the visibility of the foundation and its initiatives to support students and educators," Bailey said.

Following a strategic planning session of BAEF trustees, district administrators, and community leaders, the foundation set forth two significant programs including the Project Lead the Way program, which provides pre-engineering curriculum for students in high school. This program and a steelmaking history program are district-wide initiatives that qualify for state EITC funding support from approved businesses.

Bailey hopes to raise awareness of the foundation amongst local businesses and BASD alumni in order to support the mission "to enhance learning opportunities for all students of the Bethlehem Area School District."