KABOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to ending playspace inequity, announced the appointment of three new board members: Sharhonda Bossier, James Hardy, and Rochelle Haynes. Each brings decades of experience in public service, nonprofit leadership, public policy, and a shared commitment to achieving equitable outcomes for children and their communities.
Sharhonda Bossier’s dedication to advocating for children began as a public school teacher. She is now the CEO of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), an organization focused on advancing the academic and economic success of young people of color, envisioning a world where they have everything they need to thrive, closely aligning with KABOOM!’s vision. Bossier’s background includes years of legislative and electoral campaign experience, including launching a multi-state education engagement initiative to help communities effectively engage with policymakers. Her expertise in advocating for children and working with communities of color and policymakers will be invaluable as KABOOM! works to deepen its partnerships with communities and strengthen policy efforts for healthier kids.
James Hardy brings extensive experience in community and economic development and currently serves as a Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where he works to build healthy, equitable communities. Hardy previously served as Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development in Akron, Ohio, where he led efforts to merge economic and community development. Earlier in his career, he was the Chief of Staff to Akron’s Mayor Dan Horrigan and worked at Summit County Public Health, where he led the Health Equity and Social Determinants Unit. Hardy’s expertise in health equity, local government, and community development will be essential as KABOOM! works to increase access to equitable playspaces across the U.S. and support generations of happier and healthier kids.
Rochelle Haynes built a distinguished career in New York City government before transitioning to nonprofit and philanthropic work. Throughout her career, Haynes has focused on policies and programs that address ending the cycle of poverty in vulnerable communities. Her passion for supporting children was further amplified during her tenure as Vice President of the U.S. Social Impact team at Sesame Workshop, where she led the scaling strategy for Sesame Street in Communities, expanding it from 3 to 13 cities and regions, ultimately reaching more than 75,000 children and families. Haynes is now the Managing Director of What Works Cities at Results for America, a first-of-its-kind global standard of excellence for data-driven, well-managed local governments with over 200 cities in the network. Her extensive experience with cities, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy will strengthen KABOOM!’s strategic initiatives, particularly as the organization works to expand its 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to more U.S. cities.
As KABOOM! transformed its business model over the past few years, starting with the 2022 launch of the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, the organization has continued to broaden the diversity of the board to align with its strategic priorities. With the support of the board of directors, KABOOM! has strengthened and increased partnerships with municipal and school district partners, prioritized access to nature with innovative green playspaces, deepened community responsiveness, and enhanced its public policy and research initiatives.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sharhonda, James, and Rochelle to our board,” said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!. “They each bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and dedication to our mission. Their leadership will help us build momentum to create better outcomes for children who are most often denied the opportunity to thrive and address the disparities that perpetuate playspace inequity.”
KABOOM! looks forward to a year of continued progress in advancing its mission and creating safe, accessible playspaces for every child to have what they need to grow up happy and healthy.