Career youth and family advocate appointed to lead national nonprofit
MADISON, WI — The National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), a national nonprofit social science research organization, announced the appointment of Katherine Park as NCCD’s chief executive officer. Park is the seventh leader of NCCD in its 108-year history.
Dr. Ronald Hughes, chair of NCCD’s Board of Directors, said, “There is no better person to lead NCCD than Kathy Park. She is the engine behind some of NCCD’s most notable accomplishments, including our expansion into the adult protection field and our Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success project.” Dr. Hughes added, “Inside the organization, she is known as an exceptional manager of people and finances, determined to empower those inside NCCD and out to create the greatest impact where it is needed the most. Kathy’s leadership combines her incredible institutional knowledge with the vision needed to keep NCCD on the cutting edge of social justice work. We are confident that her strategic vision, her expertise in NCCD’s areas of focus, her skill in building relationships inside and outside of the organization, and her commitment to improving the lives of children and families, vulnerable adults, and communities will serve NCCD well for years to come.”
“I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of this great organization,” said Park. “At NCCD, we come to work every day with a shared goal: to change the lives of vulnerable people for the better, using approaches shaped by research. I am so proud and humbled to be supporting all of the talented people who make this work happen every day across the country and abroad.”
Park affirmed NCCD’s organizational commitment to research-based programming and investment in consistent evaluation. “Systems improvement is not easy work, and real progress can’t be achieved by simply going from one new initiative to the next in search of panaceas. It requires steadfast commitment to integrating data-driven, equitable solutions into the very culture of our nation’s social service and justice systems. These paradigm shifts toward research-informed practice and policy are an ethical imperative given that the safety and well-being of our children, families, and communities are at stake.”
Prior to serving as CEO, Park served as the organization’s vice president for five years, and associate director of the NCCD Children’s Research Center for six years. She has worked throughout her tenure in partnership with numerous state and local social services agencies across the United States and internationally to transform policies and practices in child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult protective services systems through an infusion of research-based and data-driven approaches to decision making.
About NCCD
NCCD promotes just and equitable social systems for individuals, families, and communities through research, public policy, and practice. NCCD envisions a just society in which people are safe and supported in their communities and treated with dignity by the systems that serve them.
For more information about NCCD, visit www.nccdglobal.org
