Christel House International Welcomes Awais Sufi to Board of Directors
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Christel House International (CHI) is pleased to welcome Awais Sufi to its Board of Directors. He joins a dedicated group of professionals which guides the strategies of learning centers in India, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States.
Mr. Sufi serves as Chief Executive Officer of SchoolSmartKC, having spent one year in the design of this effort as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. SchoolSmartKC works to eliminate the achievement gap for disadvantaged students.
Prior to his work in Kansas City, Awais served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Programs at the International Youth Foundation (IYF). At IYF, Awais led the organization’s development efforts for public-private partnerships between development agencies, the private sector and philanthropy to promote greater opportunity for disadvantaged youth in over 50 countries worldwide.
Before his tenure at IYF, Awais served as the startup Managing Director of the Education for Employment Foundation, which uses business validated training and education to provide economic opportunity to young people across the Middle East. Prior to this work, he served as a corporate and securities attorney at Arnold & Porter, a Washington, D.C. law firm, and as Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge John Sprizzo of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Awais Sufi was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Community Development Advisory Council on Jan. 1, 2019.
Raised in Topeka, Kansas, Awais is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and the University of Chicago.
“Awais Sufi brings a remarkable level of experience and passion for the transformative power of education,” says Steve Ross, Chairman of the Board. “We welcome his participation as we evolve the Christel House mission.”
Christel House continues to grow. The ninth school, Christel House Jamaica, opened in October 2020.
About Christel House International
The mission of Christel House is to transform the lives of impoverished children around the world—breaking the cycle of poverty and building self-sufficient, contributing members of society. A focus on academic excellence through a robust K–12 curriculum is combined with a strong character development program to give students the skills and competencies necessary to compete successfully in complex 21st Century society
Much more than a school, Christel House was established in 1998 by Founder Christel DeHaan, and currently serves over 6,688 students through nine schools — located in India, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa and the United States. The ninth school, Christel House Jamaica, opened in October 2020. Christel House students maintain a 97% graduation exam pass rate, and a majority of its graduates go on to pursue higher education. They become productive citizens, and many secure employment with top multinational corporations. Christel House graduates are confident, hardworking, responsible and ethical, with a passion for giving back to their communities and caring for their families.
For more information, please visit www.christelhouse.org and follow us on social media: www.facebook.com/christelhouse; www.twitter.com/christelhouse.