For Immediate Release January 2, 2023

Contact: Jennifer Poteat, MSHCT, EMPL

Executive Director, Colin’s Hope

(512) 222-7591 | [email protected]

Colin’s Hope Board of Directors Welcomes New Executive Director

AUSTIN, TX –Colin’s Hope, a non-profit aimed at ending preventable childhood drownings, announces the appointment of Jennifer Poteat, MSHCT, EMPL as the new Executive Director. The Board of Directors, volunteers, donors, and partners enable Colin’s Hope to carry out its mission to educate parents, teachers, caregivers, and children about water safety to prevent drownings, a major public health issue.

“We are excited to utilize the unique talents and dedication to the mission of Ms. Poteat to ensure no child dies of preventable drowning,” said Board Chair Carli Smith. “Jennifer brings a wealth of experience in advocacy, education, and public health. She contributes diverse non-profit leadership skills to guide and grow this organization.”

Poteat was previously a non-profit consultant after earning her second master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Before the Covid pandemic, she was a Regional Ambassador for the Texas Hospital Association Foundation serving member hospitals throughout Texas with a focus on the Houston region and the Texas Medical Center. She earned a B.A. at the University of South Carolina and is an award-winning artist bringing creativity and vision to this role. In 2016, she was awarded the Executive Master’s in Public Leadership from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. As Covid-19 changed the world, she continued her educational pursuits to serve the public health needs of her community. In 2021, she earned a Master of Health Care Transformation a co-degree from Dell Medical School and McCombs School of Business. She has served in numerous volunteer roles in the community with the Austin Women’s Federated Club, the Austin Book Arts Center, and is Vice-Chair of the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy.

Poteat succeeds Inaugural Executive Director Alissa Magrum, who began her tenure with the organization as a volunteer and assumed the role of Executive Director in December 2008. In continuing to honor her commitment to Colin’s legacy, Magrum will remain as a strategic advisor during the transition.

About Colin’s Hope:

Colin’s Hope was formed in 2008 after four-year old Colin Holst tragically drowned in a public pool, with lifeguards on duty and family members present. Our mission is to provide water safety awareness, education and resources to prevent children from drowning. Our major water safety programs and initiatives are held year-round and across the country. We encourage everyone to learn to be safer around water by visiting the website Drowning is Preventable to access free, online resources.

Issue Summary:

Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children under 5 and a leading cause for ages 1-14. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, for each fatal drowning incident, five more children receive emergency care for submersion injuries.1 While no one is drown-proof, drowning IS preventable.

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