Crossroads News

Crossroads Welcomes Two New Trustees

Alumna Erin Simon ’95 and parent Sarah Harden join the Board of Trustees.
Crossroads School is pleased to welcome two new Trustees to the Board in 2021: alumna Erin Simon ’95 and parent Sarah Harden. Both bring a heartfelt appreciation for the School’s mission and philosophy as well as a commitment to its success moving forward.
 
A self-described “fierce advocate for youth,” Erin has worked for Long Beach Unified School District since 2014, where she is currently assistant superintendent of School Support Services. In this role, she leads the direction of special education and student support services in a range of areas, from child welfare and mental health to enrollment, student attendance and discipline.
 
Erin previously held multiple leadership positions for Redondo Beach Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District. She has presented at numerous summits and conferences and serves on several boards and professional associations. She is the recipient of the Long Beach Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ 2017 Pioneer Spirit Award; the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office’s 2016 IMPACT Award; and the Association for Supervisors and Curriculum Development’s 2014 Emerging Leader distinction.
 
“My 30-year journey since graduating from Crossroads has allowed me to reflect on the contribution it has made in my personal and academic achievement,” says Erin. “By participating in the capacity of Board of Trustees, I will be able to continue the mission of Crossroads in its fullest for each student regardless of gender, ZIP code, religion or ethnicity.”
 
Sarah, parent to Crossroads junior Louise Harden, is CEO of the media company Hello Sunshine, founded by Reese Witherspoon. In this position, Sarah has led the company’s growth as a premium content studio and direct-to-consumer brand, developing scripted and unscripted television series, films, kids and animation series, short-form storytelling, audio content and more. Last year, the company’s productions received 18 Emmy nominations, and FastCompany named Hello Sunshine the No. 2 Most Innovative Company in Media.
 
Sarah was previously the president of Otter Media; group director for News Corp Asia; senior vice president of business development at Fox Networks; and co-founder of Linkscape Software. She began her career at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, Australia. Sarah also dedicates time to serving on the Board and Compensation Committee of Magnite; the TimesUp Global Leadership Board; and the U.S. Development Board for the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
 
“Strong governance and exceptional leadership are the foundational ‘tone-setters’ for any organization—as they have been at Crossroads,” notes Sarah. “And in joining the Board, I would hope to add to that fabric—continuing to strategically examine and support where we can do better and be better, and to help create conditions (financially, operationally, etc.) to deliver on our mission as distinctively in the decade(s) ahead.”
 
Thank you, Erin and Sarah, for so generously sharing your expertise as our newest Trustees.
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