Vehicles for Change Welcomes Dr. Earl Johnson to Its Board of Directors
HALETHORPE, Md. (PRWEB) September 24, 2014 -- Baltimore area nonprofit Vehicles for Change, Inc. (VFC) today announced that former director of the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Earl Johnson, has joined its board of directors. Johnson joins 12 other VFC board members who help steer the organization in its mission to empower families with financial challenges to achieve economic and personal independence through car ownership and technical training.
An expert in needy family issues, Johnson spent the past 25 years involved in policy directly related to low-income individuals. Most recently, Johnson was a presidential appointee overseeing the Office of Family Assistance within the Administration for Children and Families for four years, before resigning in August 2014. During his tenure in OFA, Johnson worked on policy development and program enhancements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, a program designed to help needy families achieve self-sufficiency.
“Earl will bring a true national presence to the VFC program with his most recent role serving as the director of the Office of Family Assistance within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” said Marty Schwartz, president of VFC. “He also brings a strong understanding of the challenges faced by VFC families. Mostly, Earl brings a brilliant mind that will help VFC grow nationally and build a program with greater impact.”
Throughout his career, Johnson’s work has focused on stabilizing opportunities for low-income men and women. Formerly, Johnson served as senior policy advisor to Mayor Ron Dellums and as executive director of the Workforce Investment Board for the city of Oakland, California, where he set policy and program goals for the city in the areas of workforce, health and urban affairs. Prior to that, Johnson served as senior program officer for The California Endowment, as associate director for the Working Communities for the Rockefeller Foundation, and as associate secretary for planning and evaluation in the California Health and Human Services Agency.
“Being on VFC’s board of directors is really a great opportunity to continue my work in trying to empower low-income individuals to become self-sufficient and independent,” said Johnson. “I believe the work of VFC is one way to do so, and I am glad to be a part of this organization.”
Previously, Johnson served on the boards of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, and the Center for Family Policy and Practice of Madison, Wisconsin. After graduating from American University in Washington, D.C., Johnson earned a Master of Arts in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a doctorate in social welfare from the University of California. Johnson resides in San Jose, California with his wife and son.
Please direct all media inquiries and requests to Josie Hankey at 410-420-2001.
About VFC
Vehicles for Change accepts and repairs donated cars and awards them to prequalified families for as little as $750, enabling low-income families to become self-sufficient. A nonprofit organization, VFC receives 99 percent of its car donations from the public. Since 1999, VFC has awarded more than 4,700 cars to low-income families, changing the lives of more than 16,400 people. Eligible families are referred to VFC through partnering social service type agencies. VFC car donors gain a substantial tax advantage that’s not available with most other charities. VFC is one of the few organizations in the country that makes it possible for donors to deduct the full fair market values of their car, because their donation is awarded to a low-income family.
For additional information about Vehicles for Change, or to donate a vehicle, visit http://www.vehiclesforchange.org or call 855-820-7990. Follow the organization on Facebook and Twitter @vehicles4change, and explore their official hashtag “#VFCjourney.”
Josie Hankey, Fallston Group, LLC, http://www.FallstonGroup.com, +1 (410) 420-2001, [email protected]
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