Spotlight:
Crystal Scanio, CEO of the Irving Schools Foundation
With contributions from Tony Scanio
When she was a child, she wanted to be a dentist. People told her to be a lawyer. She pursued architecture instead. But life had a completely different plan for her at Texas Tech University. Businesswoman Crystal Scanio, pursued her business degree, moved to Dallas, and now leads one of the top educational foundations in the country. Keep reading to learn more about her journey as President & CEO of the Irving Schools Foundation and to celebrate her 10 year anniversary on the job.
Born in Singapore, in the nearest hospital to where her parents resided in Indonesia, Crystal’s legacy begins on the other side of the world. Her childhood consisted of travel and discovery across Lhokseumawe, Jakarta, then Qatar, and eventually, San Antonio. After two years of high school in Texas, Crystal was admitted to Texas Tech University in pursuit of an architecture degree.
When she was a kid, Crystal always wanted to be a dentist. As we can see now, life took her on a different path. Her husband, Tony, tells us about the time they met on campus: a Spanish for Business class. Her ultimate decision was to major in International Business, and the life skills she developed growing up would make her the best candidate for that. Tony says, “She credits having to move to new schools every few years as helping her be more outgoing.”
From being an RA to working at Old Navy during college, Crystal was a dedicated student. When the time came to decide what her plans were after graduation, Tony remembers that, “as much as I tried to convince her to stay with me in Lubbock after graduation, by the time we started dating, she already knew that she wanted to move to Dallas.”
After graduation, Crystal began her career with AXA Advisors in Dallas. After a couple of years, she was hired at the Arlington branch of Merill Lynch and later transferred to Irving/Las Colinas. During this time, Crystal served as a financial advisor but realized that her heart belonged to the community. That’s where she wanted to be.
“By chance, one day she was talking to a former co-worker from her time at AXA Advisors, and they decided to meet for lunch. While discussing her career aspirations, Crystal mentioned that she was looking for something different than the financial advisor position, and described something where she would be able to help the community, preferably the children, so that they were able to receive better opportunities to prepare them for life.” This is how she learned of the Irving Schools Foundation.
Her lunchmate, Karry Chapman, was at that time serving as the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and Administration of Irving ISD. She told her that the foundation was looking for a new Executive Director. Tony says, “Karry recommended that she apply for the position, and the rest, they say, is history.”
When she first began her work at ISF, Crystal’s dedication to understanding the Irving community and the school District was a priority that took a long time. There were times when it was just her at the foundation or just one other employee. Nonetheless, she was committed to fulfilling the mission of the foundation to help students and educators thrive. Throughout her time at ISF, Crystal has helped develop new programs and build up her “dream team” of staff that focuses on certain areas of the foundation.
Over the last ten years as the President & CEO of the Irving Schools Foundation, Crystal’s accomplishments have established a legacy. From being the recipient of the 2014 Nissan America’s Diversity Ambassador Award to opening a warehouse to house ISF programs to being a hardworking mother, Crystal has been a leader in the community in extraordinary ways.
Crystal, thank you for empowering students and teachers, embracing your challenges for a greater good, and for always saying “yes” to those in need. The community wouldn’t be the same without you. Congratulations on 10 years of excellence with the Irving Schools Foundation!
