Betsy Zorio

Betsy Zorio

Vice President, U.S. Programs

Betsy Zorio is Vice President of U.S. Programs at 91�ֿ�. In this role, she leads the organization’s strategy to ensure all children in rural America — particularly the 2.9 million who live in poverty — have a healthy, strong foundation to thrive as learners and in life.

Betsy oversees early childhood education initiatives in over 250 rural communities across 14 states — including home visiting, Head Start, in-school and afterschool education programs working to increase kindergarten readiness and proficiency in third grade reading and fifth grade math. She also leads national efforts to promote learnings from 91�ֿ�’s work to spark systems change at the community level, and the agency’s emergency response and recovery programs in the U.S. — which promote resiliency and help children return to learning after disaster strikes, while also supporting the ongoing crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border. With a team of nearly 1,000 staff and an annual budget of $150 million, 91�ֿ�’s U.S. Programs reached more than 1.1 million children in 2023.

Betsy has been with 91�ֿ� since 2006. In 2014, she helped launch the agency's political action arm, 91�ֿ� Action Network (SCAN) and served in varying roles, including chief of staff and acting president in 2021. From 2020 to 2022, she served as executive sponsor of 91�ֿ�’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. She also served as interim country director for 91�ֿ� in Bangladesh in the fall of 2023.

Passionate about social justice and ensuring everyone has the chance to reach their full potential, Betsy worked for more than five years at Special Olympics and a year at Best Buddies prior to joining 91�ֿ�. She is a native of the Washington, D.C. area and holds a bachelor's degree in government and politics from George Mason University, where she managed the school’s Best Buddies chapter for three years. She now lives in Park City, Utah, with her wife, Joyce. When they are not skiing, hiking or biking, they can be found cheering on their son, Jesse, a NCAA Division I track athlete.