Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Names New Board of Directors
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Names New Board of Directors
Expanded Board Aims to Accelerate Efforts Towards Advancing Policies to Prepare Louisiana Children for Success in School and Life
NEW ORLEANS, LA. (July 24, 2020) — The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) announced today its new Board of Directors for 2020-2021. Serving as Board Officers are:
· Dionne Rousseau, J.D., Partner, Jones Walker LLP — President
· Julie Morial, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, United Health — Vice President
· Drew Chapman, CPA, Ericson Krentel — Treasurer
· Vince Jackson, Vice President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana — Secretary
“Each of these individuals brings a unique set of skills and perspectives that we’ll rely on in continuing our efforts to ensure young children are ready for success in school and in life across Louisiana,” said LPIC Executive Director Libbie Sonnier, PhD. “We’re thrilled to have them representing our organization and serving as dedicated champions for young children, early care and education providers, working parents and our communities.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Policy Institute has shed light on the necessity of affordable child care for getting parents back to work and reviving the state’s economy. LPIC has hosted multiple virtual press conferences to share the results of its series of surveys of child care providers, partnering with Agenda for Children, Childcare Connections for Northeast Louisiana, Child Care Association of Louisiana, Louisiana Association of United Ways, On Track by 5 Alliance, Pointe Coupee Early Childhood Education Coalition, United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Volunteers of America to gain perspective from early childcare providers and the business community.
Board President Dionne Rousseau said, “In this new leadership role, I am excited to work with our talented and dedicated board members to continue to advance LPIC’s mission, which is critical to the wellbeing of our children, our workforce and our economy. Over the past 18 months, we helped secure bipartisan support to expand access to quality early care and education, provided reliable data on the pandemic’s impact on childcare along with policy recommendations on how to get Louisiana families back to work and assisted early childcare providers with navigating funding sources to allow them to stay open or reopen. In recognition of LPIC’s successes and the importance of our goals, our existing and new funders have more than doubled the size of LPIC’s budget over the last year. We look forward to building on this positive momentum to ensure that all of Louisiana’s young children are ready for success in school and in life.”
For more information on LPIC, please visit: http://www.policyinstitutela.org.
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About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children:
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana's young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy and have opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook and Twitter.