Staff: Crystal Muno

After several years of service on the Friends of the Children – Klamath Basin Ambassador Board, Crystal officially joined the chapter’s staff as Program Director in 2020. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in marketing from Oregon Institute of Technology and brings a strong blend of strategy, creativity and heart to her work. Aside from a brief detour into graduate studies in library and information science at the University of Washington, Crystal has built her career around advancing equity and access in rural communities. Prior to joining Friends, Crystal advanced this work across both education and nonprofit arts management, with roles at Klamath Learning Center, Oregon Tech, Klamath Union High School, the Ross Ragland Theater and Arts on the Flyway. Under her leadership, the program team has grown from just five Friends to a comprehensive support system that includes ten Friends, a family engagement coordinator, a tribal youth engagement coordinator, an education coordinator, two 2Gen program managers and a strong network of tutors. Crystal has significantly expanded both the depth and breadth of programming for youth by launching a summer STEAM camp, weekly Indigenous skills events, regular mental health game nights, a life skills curriculum and ongoing literacy and reading initiatives. Crystal has earned recognition across the Friends of the Children Network as a leader in rural access, equity, and culturally specific programming, sharing her expertise at the 2024 National Mentoring Summit. In addition to her work at Friends, she serves as Artistic Director for Little Linkville, a Linkville Playhouse program that increases access to theatrical arts for children of all ages and economic backgrounds by offering three original works for youth each year. Outside of work and the theater, Crystal enjoys leading her husband and teenage daughter on hijinks and adventures throughout the Pacific Northwest.