07 Jun Celebrating 2024 Braithwait Award Recipient, Kimberly Shinn-Brown

Congratulations to Kimberly Shinn-Brown, recipient of the distinguished 2024 Charles Braithwait Leadership Award! Kimberly exemplifies the essence of Community Action through her unwavering dedication to children and families. Enthusiastic about the mission of Community Action, Kimberly has devoted 29 years to Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC). As the current OACAC Head Start Director, Kimberly is forward thinking, a visionary for strengthening the lives of the people we serve, and she is passionately mission driven. A remarkable mentor, Kimberly makes herself available to her team and colleagues, listening and offering guidance and support. A colleague said of her, “OACAC Head Start owes much of its success to Kimberly, who is kind, compassionate, and determined to make a difference in as many families’ lives as possible.”

Kimberly demonstrates her dedication to Community Action by ensuring all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression, are welcome to access our services at OACAC. She is a steadfast advocate for fostering community and Kimberly is dedicated to directing a program that empowers families to establish, work toward, and achieve their goals. Kimberly believes all children can be leaders of the future and she leads by building others up.

Charles Braithwait began his career in Community Action in 1965 and was one of the founders of the National Community Action Foundation. Each year, the Missouri Community Action Network (MCAN) honors an individual in the Missouri Community Action Network who exemplifies the energy and dedication demonstrated by Charles Braithwait. On June 4, 2024, Kimberly Shinn-Brown was recognized at the statewide MCAN conference in Branson, MO. She received the Braithwait Award from David Bradley, National Community Action Foundation CEO and founder.

“I’m honored to be nominated and selected for the 2024 Charles Braithwait Leadership Award,” shared Kimberly. “I’m grateful for the giants on whose shoulders we all stand – the trailblazers and difference-makers in Community Action and Head Start, who created a movement to address the causes and conditions of poverty that remains as relevant and effective today as it was at its inception. I’m grateful for my colleagues who have encouraged and challenged me, and my family who has supported me.”