(Friday, December 12, New York, NY) — Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) is pleased to announce that Lesley Searcy has been hired as Vice President: Head of Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, effective January 5, 2026.
As a key member of CSF’s executive leadership team, Lesley, who has served most recently as Chief Growth Officer at Step Up For Students, will be responsible for designing, operationalizing, and scaling the organization’s strategy for implementing opportunities under the recently passed federal scholarship tax credit (FSTC).
“We are honored to have Lesley join our team at this exciting time for educational freedom,” said CSF President and CEO Darla M. Romfo. “With a more than 25-year track record administering scholarships, and more recently tax credit and ESA programs at the state level, CSF and its partner programs are poised to leverage the new FSTC in 2027. With Lesley’s entrepreneurial vision, expertise, guidance, collaborative spirit, and passion, CSF will be in an even better position to fulfill its mission of supporting expanded educational opportunities for all children.”
“This new role is especially meaningful because my career in school choice began with the Children’s Scholarship Fund in Alabama 25 years ago,” Lesley said. “That experience shaped my belief in educational freedom and set me on the path that ultimately led me to Step Up. Returning to CSF feels like a full-circle moment, and I look forward to applying everything I’ve learned at Step Up to help more families access choice under the FSTC.”
For more than 20 years, Lesley has provided transformational, executive leadership to large scale nonprofits, with 12 of those years at Step Up For Students, the Florida nonprofit that manages the largest K-12 state school choice program in the country.
About Children’s Scholarship Fund: Founded in 1998 by the late John Walton and Ted Forstmann, Children’s Scholarship Fund empowers families by providing children in need with scholarships, and by supporting expanded educational opportunities for all children. In addition to offering privately-funded scholarships, CSF administers state programs that empower children to reach their full potential. Since its inception, CSF and its 20 partner programs in 24 program areas have invested more than $1.23 billion in scholarships for 224,252 deserving children and their families, including more than 38,700 children in the 2025-26 school year. For more information, visit www.scholarshipfund.org.
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