{"id":36217,"date":"2024-01-08T23:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T23:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/?p=36217"},"modified":"2026-06-03T20:21:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T20:21:37","slug":"ceca-leadership-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/ceca-leadership-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Galardonados por Liderazgo de los Premios Casey a la Excelencia para la Ni\u00f1ez 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fresh-image overflow-x-hidden wp-block-fresh-image\">\n            <div class=\"fresh-image__align flex justify-center\">\n                  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3600\" height=\"706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-scaled.png\" class=\"fresh-image__img h-auto w-full object-cover\" alt=\"Casey Excellence for Children Awards\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-scaled.png 3600w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-1024x201.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-768x151.png 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-1536x301.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-2048x402.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CECA-online-header-prpl-18x4.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px\" data-copyright=\"\" data-headline=\"Casey Excellence for Children Awards\" data-description=\"\" \/>\n              <\/div>\n     <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block back-warm-ceramic padding-top padding-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/?p=32734\"> AWARDS HOME PAGE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ceca-top-fa\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"image-grid backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block back-warm-ceramic margin-bottom padding-top padding-bottom wp-block-image-grid content-section light overflow-x-hidden\">\n <div class=\"overflow-x-hidden\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5 text-center\">\n <h2>Meet the 2024 Leadership Honorees<\/h2>\n <div class=\"text-salt-box mb-9 inline-block w-full sm:max-w-[600px] lg:w-[830px]\"><p>These awards recognize leaders who have had a significant impact in improving outcomes for children and families and building Communities of Hope across America.<\/p>\n<p>Select the photo below to read more about the year&#8217;s honorees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <ul class=\"list-none mx-auto grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-x-0 gap-y-[32px] md:gap-x-[64px] md:gap-y-[32px] lg:gap-x-[32px] xl:gap-x-[64px] lg:gap-y-[64px] xl:gap-y-[84px] xl:gap-y-[96px]\">\n  <li class=\"text-center hidden md:block\">\n <a  href=\"#leadership-01\"  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\">Justice Ingrid Gustafson<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n  <li class=\"text-center hidden md:block\">\n <a  href=\"#leadership-02\"  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\">Christine James-Brown<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n  <li class=\"text-center hidden md:block\">\n <a  href=\"#leadership-03\"  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\">The Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n  <li class=\"text-center hidden md:block\">\n <a  href=\"#leadership-04\"  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\">Jerod Pierce<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n  <li class=\"text-center hidden md:block\">\n <a  href=\"#leadership-05\"  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\">Dr. Annetta Wilson<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n   <li class=\"text-center md:hidden\">\n <a  target=\"\" class=\"bg-ceramic card stealthy\">\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"mx-auto my-[35px] lg:my-[25px] xl:my-[50px] w-full object-cover\" \/>\n <div class=\"label !text-md -mt-2 pt-0 pb-7 px-8 md:px-6 lg:px-7 text-black\"><\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n <br\/>\n <br\/>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"leadership-01\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block margin-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36301\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-headline=\"Gustafson Ingrid-square\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-768x769.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gustafson-Ingrid-square.jpg 1451w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Justice Ingrid Gustafson<\/h2>\n<p>Justice Ingrid Gustafson has worked tirelessly for over 20 years to promote the well-being of children and families in the child welfare system, both as a district court judge in Yellowstone County and as a Supreme Court justice. She is Montana Supreme Court\u2019s sitting member on the Court Improvement Program, which gives federal funding to agencies and tribes for preventative services to assist vulnerable families. She has been instrumental in getting judges and other court workers to participate in training to improve communication and best practices in child welfare.<\/p>\n<p>While a judge in Yellowstone County, Justice Gustafson launched a court pilot to promote family reunification and reduce case processing times. As a result of her efforts, the termination of parental rights decreased by one-third and case processing time decreased by 40%. The prehearing conferences also facilitated conversations among parents, attorneys, CPS workers and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)\/Guardian ad Litems (GAL). Many of the practices employed in her pilot program have been replicated and implemented in Montana\u2019s district courts statewide with some practices recently signed into state law.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"#ceca-top-fa\"><strong>BACK TO TOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"qff_disclaimer align wp-block-disclaimer content-section\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-0 md:px-5\">\n <div class=\"qff_disclaimer__wrapper text-salt-box text-xs font-sofiapro border-t-2 border-spring-wood\">\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"leadership-02\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block margin-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-headline=\"JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot copy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/JamesBrown_Chris_Headshot-copy-1.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Christine James-Brown<\/h2>\n<p>In 2007, Christine James-Brown became president and chief executive officer of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the nation\u2019s oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. She led CWLA\u2019s continued work in improving the quality and availability of child welfare and related services through standard-setting and advocacy. Under her leadership, CWLA has restructured its business model and service strategy to better anticipate and respond to the needs of children and families who are vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p>After a challenging downsizing period, CWLA worked with members and experts across the country to develop the CWLA National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare. The initiative aims to raise child welfare awareness both within and outside of the system, helping individuals and groups understand their responsibility in improving outcomes for children and families. Under James-Brown\u2019s leadership, CWLA has emerged as a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies that serve children and families. James-Brown retired from her role in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to joining CWLA, she served as CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the United Way International, where she had a special focus on the needs of children in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, and around the world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"#ceca-top-fa\"><strong>BACK TO TOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"qff_disclaimer align wp-block-disclaimer content-section\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-0 md:px-5\">\n <div class=\"qff_disclaimer__wrapper text-salt-box text-xs font-sofiapro border-t-2 border-spring-wood\">\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"leadership-03\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block margin-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36297\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-headline=\"Aurora Martinez Jones-option1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aurora-Martinez-Jones-option1.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>The Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones<\/h2>\n<p>Judge Aurora Martinez Jones is a child welfare law specialist dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through legal advocacy. She co-founded the Child Welfare Race Equity Collaborative, which harnesses the insights and work of lived experts to make the child welfare system more equitable and anti-racist. She is certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children, a nonprofit that provides high-quality legal representation for children.<\/p>\n<p>Her current judicial position oversees the Travis County Model Court for Children and Families, which includes the child welfare dockets in Travis County. The Model Court supports several initiatives through committees on Race Equity and Disproportionality; Domestic Violence and Child Protective Services (CPS); Pregnant and Parenting Foster Youth; and LGBTQ+ and CPS; and through Model Court programs such as the Family Drug Treatment Court and the Crossover Program for Dual Status Youth. She runs a trauma-informed court and continues her work in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"#ceca-top-fa\"><strong>BACK TO TOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"qff_disclaimer align wp-block-disclaimer content-section\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-0 md:px-5\">\n <div class=\"qff_disclaimer__wrapper text-salt-box text-xs font-sofiapro border-t-2 border-spring-wood\">\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"leadership-04\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block margin-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36298\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-headline=\"2022 Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ) 40-Under-40 honoree Jerod Pierce is pictured in the newsroom photo studio in Seattle, Washington on August 8, 2022.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jerod-Pierce-square.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Jerod Pierce<\/h2>\n<p>Jerod Pierce is the founder of Olympic Holdings \u2014 a Seattle-based holding company that invests in privately owned businesses and real estate \u2014 as well as the Pierce Family Charitable Trust, a private family trust with a mission to honor and reflect the family\u2019s shared values through giving.<\/p>\n<p>Pierce, an alumnus of Casey Family Programs foster care, graduated cum laude from Seattle University with degrees in business administration and finance. He completed an internship with the investment firm D.A. Davidson, where he was later hired. After working at various investment banking and private equity firms, Pierce attended Harvard Business School for his Master of Business Administration.<\/p>\n<p>Pierce credits his challenging early life experiences with helping him develop gratitude, resilience, compassion, tenacity and loyalty \u2014 traits that have contributed greatly to his success. He is the 2016 recipient of the Casey Excellence for Children Alumni Award and a strong advocate of mentoring. Mentors have been very important in his life and career, and he is now in a position to help others. He continues to give time and significant resources back to society, including volunteer work at nonprofit organizations and schools to share his personal experiences of growing up in a disadvantaged environment. The Pierce Family Charitable Trust currently supports organizations related to foster care and mental health.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"#ceca-top-fa\"><strong>BACK TO TOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"qff_disclaimer align wp-block-disclaimer content-section\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-0 md:px-5\">\n <div class=\"qff_disclaimer__wrapper text-salt-box text-xs font-sofiapro border-t-2 border-spring-wood\">\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"leadership-05\" class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section light fresh-text single wp-block-fresh-text backgrounds-and-margins-aware-block margin-bottom\">\n <div class=\"container mx-auto px-5\">\n\n \n \n <!-- The CTA is moved up next to the title when in the Head Section style -->\n \n  <div class=\"callout\"><h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-headline=\"Annetta Wilson Headshot square\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.casey.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Annetta-Wilson-Headshot-square-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Dr. Annetta Wilson<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Annetta Wilson\u2019s decades of successful work center around one theme: ensuring children can remain safely with family. Currently she serves as the executive director of Sankofa House, a residential community established in 2008. The 58-unit building offers affordable housing to grandparents raising grandchildren and to young adults who have aged out of foster care in Illinois. In addition to being a safe, supportive community, Sankofa House convenes monthly support groups, develops training curriculum for grandparents raising grandchildren and has hosted congressional staff for education on kinship and its impact on children and families.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Wilson leverages lived experience, data and cross-system collaboration in her leadership. She spotlights critical challenges families face and facilitates opportunities for people to share their experiences and ideas for solutions. She creates spaces for youth in the community to heal from trauma, has secured grant funding for mental health counseling in high schools and hosts an annual Girls SpeakOut empowerment event. \u00a0\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n<p>As a valued partner to Casey Family Programs, Dr. Wilson informs local, state and federal policy discussions. She has partnered with Casey to improve permanency rates in Illinois, an example of her critical work in promoting racial justice and equity in the state. At the federal level, Dr. Wilson has supported Ways and Means Subcommittee Ranking Member Congressman Danny Davis in his efforts to raise awareness about challenges and opportunities that children and families face.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"#ceca-top-fa\"><strong>BACK TO TOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n <!-- conversly to above, we need to not show the CTA here if it's the Head Section style -->\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Estos premios reconocen a los l\u00edderes que han tenido un impacto significativo en la mejora de los resultados para los ni\u00f1os y las familias y en la construcci\u00f3n de Comunidades de Esperanza en todo Estados Unidos.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":36302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[263,270],"content_type":[467],"hidden-tags-misc":[],"audience":[313,317,318,322,325,326],"content_location":[329],"topic":[404],"class_list":["post-36217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-casey","category-ceca-awards","content_type-news","audience-academia-researcher","audience-child-welfare-leader","audience-community-based-organization","audience-judiciary","audience-nonprofit-faith-based","audience-philanthropy","content_location-national","topic-awards"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.4 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - 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