The National Foster Youth Institute, a new venture with support from Casey Family Programs and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, has begun its search for a founding executive director.
By connecting policy makers with foster youth and families through innovative programs and policy briefings, the National Foster Youth Institute aims to reform and strengthen the child welfare system and drastically improve outcomes for foster youth, with a focus on family permanency, well-being and career readiness.
The executive director will be based in Washington, D.C., with an office, staff and programming in Los Angeles, with an additional program in New York City. The plan is for NFYI to emerge as a standalone nonprofit after a year under the auspices of the Los Angeles-based Community Partners.
A board of directors has already been established:
- Conway Collis, CEO of GRACE, a California-based Christian ministry.
- Yolanda (Cookie) Parker, founder and president of KMS Software
- Clarence Lusane, a well-known columnist on race relations and professor in political science at the American University in Washington, D.C.
- Wendy Smith, associate dean of the University of Southern California School of Social Work
- David Herbst, former Los Angeles County commissioner and founder of public relations firm Vectis Strategies
The institute’s leader will “develop knowledge of the Institute’s vision” and “successfully develop the core programs to achieve the Institute’s goals,” according to a statement circulating about the job.
Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and professional references to: [email protected].
John Kelly is the editor-in-chief of The Imprint