Lisa Morrison Butler Appointed as New Dept. of Family and Support Services Commissioner
Lisa Morrison Butler, will replace outgoing City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Commissioner, Evelyn Diaz, upon confirmation by the Chicago City Council, effective Aug. 1, 2015. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel nominated Morrison Butler as Diaz accepted the position of President of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights.
The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services supports families and strengthens neighborhoods by providing direct assistance and administering resources to a network of community-based organizations, social service providers and institutions.
The DFSS Commissioner responsibilities include:
• Delivering social service programs and resources to over 300,000 Chicago residents
• Reducing homelessness
• Aiding victims of domestic violence
• Providing workforce development opportunities to the formerly incarcerated
• Providing early childhood education services
“Lisa will help quarterback some of the most critical items on my second term agenda, from continuing our progress towards universal pre-K for children in need to significantly expanding our youth violence prevention programs,” said Emanuel. “She has the executive experience and record of serving Chicago’s youth to deliver on these priorities.”
Morrison Butler currently serves as Executive Director for City Year Chicago. City Year partners with at-risk schools to help students reach their full potential and graduate high school. During her tenure she has grown the youth service corps from 60 to over 200 members serving annually and increased by ten-fold the number of at-risk Chicago Public Schools students that City Year Chicago serves.
“I am grateful to Mayor Emanuel for offering me this opportunity to serve Chicago residents, and I am eager to begin working with the Mayor’s team to expand pre-K opportunities, reach new records for youth summer jobs, and end homelessness,” said Morrison Butler.
Morrison Butler holds a B.S. degree from Indiana University and pursued post-graduate studies at the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Prior to joining City Year, she held senior positions in the telecommunications industry and also established a private strategic communications practice.
Evelyn Diaz joins Heartland Alliance after four years as DFSS Commissioner under Mayor Emanuel. Under her leadership, DFSS streamlined and consolidated programs to minimize the impact of federal and state funding cuts and managed the Mayor’s major new investments in early childhood, summer jobs, homeless services and domestic violence programs.
“Evelyn’s leadership at DFSS has positively impacted the lives of countless Chicagoans, and it has been a pleasure to work with her as we’ve grown our summer job and violence prevention programs for youth and worked to build the city’s first new domestic violence shelter in 20 years,” said Emanuel. “I want to thank Evelyn for her years of dedicated service to the city, and I look forward to seeing the great work she will undoubtedly accomplish in her new position.”
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