Leadership Biographies

Kristen L. Polin, MAEd

VP of Agency Develoment

Kristen Polin holds a Master of Arts Degree in Education Program Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Community Health Promotion with a specialization in Chemical Dependency Services from Ithaca College, New York. Kristen has been with Community Bridges since 1997 and is now responsible for all agency public affairs, fundraising, marketing, community development and outreach throughout Maricopa County.  She also serves as a member of a number of substance abuse collaborations; specializes in high level training for emergency responders; and provides seminars for law enforcement, school districts, and the business community regarding best practice prevention and treatment service delivery. 

During Kristen’s eleven years of employment with Community Bridges, she co-founded the Prevention Partnership in 1998, and was the primary designer of the rapid expansion of Community Bridges’ prevention and outreach services which have served nearly 500,000 youth and adults in the Valley of the Sun.  Kristen’s community efforts played a key role in helping to secure nearly four million dollars for the construction of Community Bridges’ Center for Hope, a long-term residential campus where recovery from addiction and behavioral health problems are the cornerstone of integrated programs, designed to help in the delivery of healthy babies, parenting/life skills, education and family reintegration for 24 pregnant women and 32 children.

 

Kristen has a strong commitment to the Valley of the Sun United Way and was recognized for her tireless efforts by being presented the United Way Speaker of the Year Award in 2003. She is also an active member of Rotary International. Her dedication to prevention also affords her the opportunity to travel nationally to train school districts and community groups in best practice prevention programs and environmental prevention strategies for Tanglewood Research based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

 

Kristen is married with 2 children ages 5 and 3.