Foster care expert previously served on Judson Center Board; will lead child and family services division

CONTACT:  Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Betsy Reich, Judson Center; Betsy_Reich@JudsonCenter.org; 248.837.2020

Farmington Hills, Mich. —November 13, 2019— Judson Center, a multi-county human service agency that provides autism programs, behavioral health services, child and family services including foster care and adoption in tandem with its affiliate, Child Safe Michigan, employment services for persons with disabilities, and primary care for all ages, is pleased to announce that Khadija Walker-Fobbs, joined Judson Center’s leadership team in the newly created position of chief strategy officer.  

As chief strategy officer, Walker-Fobbs, who served as a trustee on Judson Center’s Board of Directors from 2013 until joining the organization in her new role, is responsible for the Child and Family Services/Child Welfare division of Judson Center. She is also tasked with helping Judson Center increase its future impact by evaluating programs and processes to ensure alignment of the organization’s mission, vision and core values, and to continue to deliver results for the thousands of children and families Judson Center serves. 

Prior to joining Judson Center, Walker-Fobbs served as the Executive Director for The New Foster Care, a non-profit organization in Southeast Michigan that helps youth in the midst of transitioning out of foster care, provides support to foster and adoptive families, and assists families at-risk before foster care is necessary.  She is also a co-founder and board president of Mission 1:17, a 501c3 that offers semi-independent housing, permanent relationships, and life skills training for youth in foster care, as well as those who live in Mission 1:17’s Metro Detroit homes.

 “Judson Center is delighted to have Khadija Walker-Fobbs on board as chief strategy officer,” said Judson Center CEO and President Lenora Hardy-Foster. “Her extensive experience working in the foster care arena, and the knowledge she gained during the past six years as an engaged stakeholder of our organization, make her well-positioned to lead our Child and Family Services programs. She will set us on a path to exploring new opportunities and new approaches to serving our beneficiaries, while allowing us to be nimble in adapting to meet the changing needs of the communities we serve.”

Walker-Fobbs has an established career in working with organizations and agencies that promote the well-being of youth in foster care.  From 2010 to 2017, she served as the Director of Development & Community Partnerships under Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency for the Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative (MYOI), the State of Michigan’s program for youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood. She has also been the principal partner at Fobbs & Walker Consulting since 2003 and has worked in a consulting role with the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, under the Annie E. Casey Foundation, to help develop and implement a statewide program model for youth transitioning from foster care — a number encompassing thousands across 64 counties in Michigan.

Walker-Fobbs earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant; and has post-graduate credits from the Greater Detroit Area Health Council.  Her community involvement is extensive, centering on matters that concern education, families and children. She is currently a board member of Wayne State University’s CHAMPS Program, which works to increase college access and improve graduation rates of foster care youth in Southeast Michigan; she is also a member of the Berkley Education Foundation Board. 

About Judson Center

Judson Center, trusted by Michigan families for 95 years, is a non-profit human service agency providing comprehensive services to strengthen children, adults and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism, developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. Primary care is also offered through the Judson Center Family Health Clinic. Since opening its doors in 1924, Judson Center has grown to change the lives of over 10,000 children, adults, and families each year. Judson Center has five regional offices in Genesee, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Headquarters are located at 30301 Northwestern Highway, Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3277.  Learn more at https://www.judsoncenter.org/.  

  ###