San Francisco – Common Sense Media, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has announced the addition of two new members of the organization’s leadership team. Mike Lorion has joined the organization in the new role of general manager of education, and Jeff Cain has been named vice president of business development. These hires represent a deeper focus on creating wide reaching, long-term distribution strategies for Common Sense Media’s trusted ratings and reviews and groundbreaking tools for educators.

“Mike and Jeff each bring a wealth of new knowledge and experience to our mission to provide parents and teachers with the tools they need to raise responsible digital citizens,” said James Steyer, CEO and founder, Common Sense Media. “Their passion and understanding of the technology, education, and media fields, as well as their extensive management experience, will allow them to take the reins of our extremely talented teams, and take our development and education efforts to a new level.”

As general manager of education, Lorion will steer the growth and distribution of Common Sense Media’s groundbreaking K-12 digital citizenship curriculum as well as the launch of new education products and partnerships. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the marketing, product development, and education sectors to the role, having previously held the positions of vice president of Apple’s education division and president of Leapfrog’s school division. Lorion holds a BS in health, physical education, and recreation from Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Cain comes to Common Sense after providing business development consulting to technology and media companies as managing principal of J. Cain Advisors. Previously, Cain served as group director of M&A at Cadence Design Systems, where he was responsible for acquisitions and strategic investments. Before joining Cadence, Cain was vice president of business development at Red Herring Communications. In his role at Common Sense, Cain will lead efforts to grow and develop Common Sense Media’s distribution network across a host of platforms. Cain received a BA in economics from Stanford University and a master of theological studies degree from Harvard University.

Cain and Lorion are tasked with leading Common Sense Media’s development and education teams into a new phase of growth and priority for the organization. Since launching in August 2009, Common Sense’s education programs have been adopted by a network of 19,000 schools in all 50 states and 60 countries. The parent media education program, which provides print and online resources for schools to engage parents in media and technology issues, launched in Nov. 2008. Common Sense Media’s digital literacy and citizenship curriculum ­– “Digital Literacy and Citizenship in a Connected Culture” – launched in April 2010 and is a comprehensive K-12 curriculum designed to empower students to think critically and make informed choices about how they live and treat others in today’s digital media world. The curriculum, which was co-created by the team of Dr. Howard Gardner and the GoodPlay Project at Harvard Graduate School of Education, covers topics from internet safety and security to privacy and cyberbullying and uses engaging content – from print and video materials to interactive components, case studies, and real life student stories – to inspire kids to be responsible digital citizens.

Common Sense Media’s classroom resources, along with ratings, reviews, videos, and parent advice, are available in more than 100 million homes nationwide thanks to business partnerships with cable and satellite companies, online companies, retailers, and telecommunications providers. Partners license Common Sense Media’s content and share them with parents and educators in their networks via TV, On Demand, mobile, and computers. Current partners include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DIRECTV, NBC Universal, Netflix, Best Buy, Google, Yahoo!, AOL/Huffington Post, Fandango, Trend Micro, Verizon Foundation, Nickelodeon, and more.

Other key additions to the Common Sense Media leadership team this month include: Colby Zintl, vice president of communications; and Jim Carroll, vice president of finance and administration.

For more information about Common Sense Media, its mission, and its leadership team, visit www.commonsense.org/about-us.

About Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our kids are growing up in a culture that profoundly impacts their physical, social, and emotional well-being. We provide families with the advice and media reviews they need in order to make the best choices for their children. Through our education programs and policy efforts, Common Sense Media empowers parents, educators, and young people to become knowledgeable and responsible digital citizens. For more information, go to: www.commonsense.org.

Press Contacts: 

Marisa Connolly
415-553-6703
mconnolly@commonsense.org

Julia Plonowski
415-553-6728
jplonowski@commonsense.org

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