District, the bustling James Street tech and innovation center, has a new executive director, whose responsibilities include overseeing the Holberton digital-job-training school.
Following is the text of press release issued Thursday making the announcement.
DIVC today announced that its board of directors has appointed A.M. (Al) Bhatt as Executive Director, overseeing the Holberton School as well as future Education, Art, and Leadership initiatives at District New Haven.
David Salinas will stay on as Chairman of the DIVC Board of Directors as well as CEO of District New Haven and will focus on the broader expansion of District’s mission in CT and the Northeast. Nadine Krause, Director of the Holberton School New Haven campus since its opening in New Haven in 2018, will step down effective June 30.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Al’s broad and deep experience to step up to lead the next phase of expansion for DIVC,” said David Salinas. “Like every business and non-profit in the country, we are at a critical moment in our evolution – COVID-19 has of course created disruption for us, but it has also made our mission even more critical. We will require visionary leadership and steady executive presence to take advantage of the opportunities ahead to provide the type of education and services that prepare Connecticut residents for 21st century careers.”
For 25 years, Bhatt was an advisor to executives in organizations across North America and Europe, focusing on the human and organizational development required to foster breakthrough-levels of innovation. In addition, he has been on faculty in the Graduate Psychology department at the University of New Haven for almost 20 years, where he has developed and taught groundbreaking courses on systems and human transformation. He is also the Academic Director and lead educator for one of the first M.A. programs in Leadership in North America.
Mr. Salinas added, “he is one of the best listeners that I have ever met and is able to deeply engage others, regardless of their background or status. Furthermore, as a member of the District community since our opening, Al has a solid understanding of, and alignment with, District’s broader mission and purpose.”
Mr. Bhatt said, “I am honored and energized to lead DIVC. For my entire life, education has been my primary commitment. Education, the development of one’s potential in a way that contributes to others and society, is a human right. I believe DIVC and the Holberton School matter for the future of Connecticut because we will develop not only the digital-era workforce that businesses want, but also the good citizens and compassionate, collaborative, and creative humans that our society needs. At a moment in history where there is so much possibility for positive, transformative change, our work is to provide the broadest and deepest possible access to education that will equip individuals with the skills and tools to effectively create that change.”
Speaking on behalf of the board, Mr. Salinas said, “We very much appreciate Nadine’s service and accomplishments in managing Holberton since its launch in September of 2018 — it is difficult to imagine us taking on such a massive undertaking in such a short period of time without Nadine’s commitment and hard work, and we wish her well as she continues