The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) recently appointed Marie N. Williams, J.D. as their new executive director. Before her recent service as interim executive director since the departure of former executive director, Nancy Hornberger, Williams worked as deputy director and director of state strategies where she was responsible for the planning, implementation, and coordination of numerous nationwide initiatives focused on juvenile justice reform. A graduate of Vassar College and George Washington University’s National Law Center, Williams has extensive experience in the fields of public policy and social justice causes in both the public and private arenas. Prior to her work at CJJ, she was a senior lobbyist and deputy director of affiliate development at NARAL Pro-Choice America and worked as a policy writer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform. In addition, she is active in non-profit, volunteer endeavors as a court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children in the District of Columbia and also as a volunteer mediator in Prince George’s County, Md. Alfred Martin, Ph.D., National Chair of CJJ, is “thrilled to welcome” Williams to her new role saying, “I know she has the strength, vision, and insight to lead CJJ in a new and exciting direction in the years to come.”
This January, Jennifer Sirangelo became the first female president and CEO of the National 4-H Council and will now lead one of the largest youth development programs in the world. Sirangelo has served at 4-H for over seven years, where she has worked to more-than-triple annual fundraising and has been instrumental in developing the organization’s new overall strategic plan. A Harry S. Truman Scholar as an undergraduate, Sirangelo first graduated from William Jewell College with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Political Science and then completed a Master of Public Administration at Syracuse University; later attending St. Peter’s College at Oxford University. After her education, Sirangelo went on to a long career in youth issues and health by working at her first college, William Jewell, in development and then the National Kidney Foundation. Later she began a long stay at the Boys & Girls Clubs; first working as vice president of marketing and development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City and then climbing the ladder to her position at Boys & Girls Clubs of America where she served as regional vice president, in charge of fundraising and board development for the entire Northeast region. The current and first chairwomen of the 4-H Council’s Board of Trustees, Alison Lewis, voiced strong support for the appointment of Sirangelo: “Jennifer’s passion for the 4-H mission will serve as an important catalyst to help grow 4-H so that even more young people can participate in 4-H programs and make a positive impact in their communities across the U.S. and around the world.”
The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF)has announced the planned retirement of the director of its Juvenile Justice Strategy Group Bart Lubow. Having served at the foundation for 22 years, Lubow has been instrumental to many of its programs, initiatives and endeavors in the field of juvenile justice. While there, he designed and managed the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative which came to be the country’s most extensively replicated juvenile justice reform initiative and has greatly improved the prospects for disadvantaged youth around the nation to make successful transitions into adulthood. The president and CEO of AECF stated his admiration of Lubow’s work at the announcement of his retirement saying, “No one in the country has done more than Bart Lubow to build the national movement for reform in juvenile justice… Bart’s dedication, perseverance, intelligence and strategic thinking have been critical in launching and sustaining these reforms in cities and states across the nation. He will be greatly missed by his many friends at the Casey Foundation.” Certainly, Lubow’s distinguished career began prior to his work at AECF though. After completing his undergraduate and graduate work at Cornell University, he started work in 1974 at the New York City Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division where he soon became director of Special Defender Services, leading efforts for social work interventions in criminal cases to improve representation. Ten years later, in 1984, Lubow became director of Alternatives to Incarceration for New York State where he spearheaded the expansion of pretrial service programs in county courts. A new director of AECF’s juvenile justice work is being actively sought and Lubow will remain affiliated with the foundation as a senior consultant.
Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) announced the appointment of Jen Pittman asits new communications manager. In her new role, Pittman will lead efforts to raise awareness of the foundation’s education-focused mission to help at-risk youth while coordinating the efforts of the foundation’s 24 youth academies, as well as other Simon properties, in 13 states. Pittman holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Franklin College and previously worked as the deputy director of Indy Parks for the city of Indianapolis. She has held numerous positions in public relations in both the public and private sectors. J. Michael Durnil, president and CEO of SYF welcomed Jen to the foundation by saying, “Jen brings a great mix of skill and experience at an important time in Simon Youth Foundation’s 15-year history… I welcome Jen’s expertise as we strive to help students stay in school and provide them with the skills and resources they need to create bright futures.”
Kim Moore Bailey has been named as the Foundation for Youth Investment’s (FYI) new executive director. Bailey formerly held leadership roles in the Parks and Recreation Departments of Denver and Chicago as well as at Outward Bound, Inc. where she instituted programs which engaged youth with the outdoors and bridged divides between government and private sector. She was also more recently the chief operating officer of College Possible, a Minnesota-based organization which focuses on helping low-income students get into college. Since graduating with her master’s from New York University and a bachelor’s from Northeastern, Bailey has dedicated her career to youth issues, giving her a track record which uniquely qualifies her for her new position at the head of FYI. “We searched the nation for a leader who effortlessly blended innovation with a commitment to people, place, and partnerships. Kim is that person,” stated the President of the Board of Directors of FYI, Luis Arteaga candidly. Ms. Bailey says she was “thrilled” to be offered the position and will get started immediately: “Moving forward, I look forward to working with the Foundation’s Board, grantees, and the outdoor education community.”
