Manatee leader elected to statewide education foundation

Mary Glass, the president of Manatee Education Foundation, has been elected to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF).

Glass will be one of five statewide members who, along with three statewide officers, govern the board.

According to a press release from the School District of Manatee County, the CFEF “seeks to maximize the individual and collective strength of Florida local education foundations to support local partners and schools.”

Glass will help lead the consortium, which raises more than $63 million annually, supporting a variety of educational programs. The CFEF has 63 member foundations and 1,100 volunteer board members in foundations across the state.

She said Thursday that she was looking forward to helping shape priorities for foundations across the state. She said she hopes to look for ways to help the state’s best teachers share their skills with their colleagues.

“It’s so much beyond just recognition and awards — it’s also about mentoring other teachers,” Glass said.

Glass is currently the president of the Manatee Education Foundation. The foundation provides support and funding for several programs in Manatee, including Teacher Impact Grants, the Excellence in Education Awards and the HeArt and Soul Gala, among others.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Manatee leader elected to statewide education foundation."