At the start of January 2025, Second Story began a new chapter with Jade Leedham as our CEO.
Many of you already know Jade. She began her journey with Second Story by volunteering at the Culmore Safe Youth Project (CSYP) in 2009. Her passion for supporting youth in crisis stems from her personal experiences immigrating to the United States at the age of nine and growing up in Fairfax County. After joining the Second Story team in 2010, she spent over three years working with young people in the Annandale and Culmore SYP programs. Seeing firsthand the impact of these programs, Jade was inspired to take on the lead development role in 2013 to provide strategic direction for all of Second Story’s fundraising, outreach, and marketing initiatives. A decade later, Jade remains committed to Second Story’s mission as Chief Executive Officer.
During Second Story’s annual Beacon of Hope Breakfast, Jade shared her excitement about her new role. “I’m excited to be moving into a future where the young people in our programs play an important role in informing our approach to effectively work with our youth and families,” she said. “It’s lived experiences that will help us continue to meet the changing needs of this community.”
Jade will be supported by a leadership team that has dedicated 70 years and counting to the organization and a board of directors that has contributed 137 years of service to Second Story.
Learn more about Jade’s transition into her new role by reviewing the press release or reading the recent Fairfax County Times article.
