Seattle — Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation dedicated solely to providing and improving – and ultimately preventing the need for – foster care, has hired Marianne Bichsel as its managing director of communications. Bichsel will serve as communications advisor to the foundation’s leadership and be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the communications department.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Marianne join the foundation,” stated Renee Kaplan, executive vice president, public affairs and communications for Casey Family Programs. Kaplan further stated that Bichsel’s extensive communications background in the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors will be a tremendous asset to the foundation in meeting its 2020 vision to safely reduce the number of children in foster care by 50 percent by the year 2020.
“I’m very pleased to be joining Casey Family Programs at this time and look forward to working with a great team of highly talented people who are truly dedicated to improving the lives of children and families every day,” stated Bichsel.
Bichsel will work closely with the foundation’s two new policy experts in its Washington, D.C. office. Casey Family Programs recently announced that Regina B. Schofield has joined the foundation as managing director of public policy, and JooYeun Chang has joined as director of public policy. Schofield was most recently the assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice programs, and Chang served as senior attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund, both located Washington, D.C.
Bichsel is currently the senior communications and policy advisor to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, where she has been a member of the mayor’s executive team since 2001. Previously, Bichsel was a principal with The Wiley Brooks Company, a Seattle-based communications agency. She brings to Casey Family Programs over 20 years of communications experience in the public and private sectors, successfully leading national, state and local campaigns.
Bichsel is a graduate of the University of Washington and is a member of the Leadership Tomorrow class of 1999. Bichsel also serves on the board of Save Our Children’s Heritage.