Educational entrepreneur wins national award

SALEM, Mass. - The president and CEO of a leading educational company based here has won a national award from the industry’s leading professional association. The award was announced on July 20 in Denver, Colo.

Robert H. Crosby received the James P. Boyle Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from the Education Industry Association (EIA) for the contributions his company NESI has made to education. The award is given annually to an individual who has started or significantly furthered the success of a for-profit education business that is directly involved in the delivery of instruction, products or services to students or teachers. The recipient must demonstrate dedication to providing and being accountable for quality educational products and services that enhance the learning or teaching process. This is the first time that Mr. Crosby has been nominated for this prestigious award.

“I’m extremely honored to receive this award,” Mr. Crosby said. “When I started NESI almost 30 years ago, I could not have predicted how much it would grow and how diversified its services would become. As a former at-risk kid, I know how valuable the services NESI provides are. I will keep pushing this company to deliver instructional services to students who truly need and benefit from our programs.”

NESI (NonPublic Educational Services, Inc.), has headquarters in the Shetland Park office complex at Pickering Wharf. More than 18,000 kindergarten through twelfth-grade and adult students received services from NESI during the 2005/2006 school year. The company has 1,000 employees at 170 project sites in 20 states and eight foreign countries. The company has four main business divisions: compensatory education, which includes Title I and supplementary educational services; services for members of the military and their dependents; online accredited high school education; and nontraditional contract and charter high schools for students who prefer a smaller, alternative learning environment. The company was founded in 1978 and began providing Title I instruction in the Commonwealth of Virginia the following year.

Mr. Crosby grew up in Salem and currently lives in Marblehead with his family. As a child, he experienced some difficulties in school. He graduated from St. John’s Prep in 1958 and went on to earn a B.S. from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in marine and electrical engineering in 1961. He earned a Masters degree in administration from George Washington University eight years later. He credits the support and guidance of a few dedicated teachers and baseball and football coaches with his earning his college degree.

“School was tough for me when I was younger, and I just wanted to have fun playing sports. As I got older, I understood that it was the specific actions and support of a few people that really helped me complete my education. I decided that someday I would return the favor to other children, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 28 years. Every day, all of our people help students succeed. I get a return on my investment every day with successful students,” Mr. Crosby said.

For more information about NESI and its educational programs, visit www.nesihq.org.







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