Grace Reef, for the past four years director of intergovernmental relations at the Children’s Defense Fund, is moving to Capitol Hill. She’ll work as minority staff director at the Subcommittee on Children and Families for Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). Joining (actually rejoining) CDF is Mary Bourdette, who spent the past eight years as deputy assistant secretary for human services legislation at Donna Shalala’s Department of Health and Human Services. At CDF she’ll be director of intergovernmental relations, replacing the departing Reef. Prior to her long tour at HHS, Bourdette was director of public policy at the Child Welfare League of America.
Last month, we reported that Deena Maerkowitz was the director of programs and policy at the National Campaign Against Youth Violence, now headed by Sarah Ingersoll. But the elusive Maerkowitz had already changed jobs and is now deputy director of program and policy at the Children’s Defense Fund.
Contact: (202) 662-3611 or www.childrensdefense.org.
Julia Burgess, director of the national Lifting New Voices youth organizing project at the D.C.-based Center for Community Change (CCC), has been organized out the door. Burgess’ work, funded by the Ford and Kellogg foundations, was prominently featured in the March issue of Youth Today. Cause and effect? Now doing the lifting at the CCC is Bobby Caballero.
Contact: (202) 342-0519 or www.commchange.org.
Departing after three years from the National Network for Youth (NNFY) is Director of Public Policy Miriam Rollin. She has moved to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, run by Sanford Newman, in the new position of federal policy director. Prior to joining the NNFY staff of 13, Rollin held a similar position at the National Association of Child Advocates. Her departure is a blow to the top leadership of the NNFY, compounded by the February announcement that its executive director for the past 11 years, Della Hughes, will depart at the end of May. Hired as interim executive director for the NNFY is Larry Zippin, formerly president of the D.C.-based Association of Jewish Aging Services. A permanent CEO, says Zippin, will be on board in about five months.
Contact: Fight Crime (202) 776-0027 or www.fightcrime.org.
Judgment. That’s the verdict at the Reno, Nev.-based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). In an Alford plea settlement, CEO David Funk has departed after an unsuccessful two-year attempt to turn himself from a banker into a trade association executive. The sometimes cantankerous group (except on Capitol Hill, where obsequiousness is the preferred mode to ensure steady congressionally earmarked funding) has a budget of up to $14 million in a good year. But on Funk’s watch there were no good years. Drafted as acting director is Stephen Herrell, a retired circuit court judge in Multnomah County, Ore. He served full time in the Family Court Department of the Circuit Court for 19 years. A board member of the NCJFCJ since 1986, he was the president for a one-year term in 1988-99. He has also served on the board of the Seattle-based National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Herrell will commute to his Reno assignment from Portland while what one official calls “a major national search” begins for a new CEO. It is expected to take up to six months.
Contact: (775) 784-6012 or www.ncjfcj.unr.edu.
