Mayor Anthony A. Williams
Brenda Donald Walker appointed 
Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders
September 28, 2005 

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MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY MAYOR FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, FAMILIES AND ELDERS

(Washington, DC) At his weekly press briefing today, Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced the appointment of Brenda Donald Walker as the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders. At the same time, he announced the resignation of Neil Albert who currently serves in this position.

Brenda Donald Walker
Deputy Mayor, Children, Youth, Families, and Elders

Brenda Donald Walker brings more than 20 years of management experience to the position of Deputy Mayor. She has served as Director of the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) since April 2004, overseeing an agency of more than 900 employees who serve nearly 6,000 abused and/or neglected children and teens up to age 21 and managing the agency’s $235 million budget. Under her leadership, CFSA has continued to work toward aggressive child welfare reform goals under the LaShawn court order, in part by introducing best practices, such as Family Team Meetings, and focusing on the needs of youth growing up in foster care. In addition, during Ms. Walker’s tenure the agency achieved its highest number of adoptions and guardianships: CFSA placed 900 children in permanent care in 2004. 

Ms. Walker joined CFSA’s senior management team in 2001, shortly after child welfare returned from a six-year federal court receivership to District control. As chief of staff and key advisor to the director for three years, Walker played a key role in building and strengthening the administrative infrastructure necessary to CFSA. She established key administrative functions including External Relations/Legislative Affairs and Volunteer Services, revamped and professionalized Human Resources and Public Information, and launched a proactive program of contract reform. 

Before joining CFSA, Walker served for five years as vice president for Municipal Programs at DC Agenda, a nonprofit organization that supports community building and government reform efforts in the District of Columbia. She managed public sector initiatives including neighborhood-based child welfare projects and municipal assistance projects. Walker’s major accomplishments included developing and implementing the first DC Citizen’s Scorecard and creating the coveted Cafritz Awards for Distinguished District Government Employees. She also provided strategic consultation to District government agencies and technical assistance to the Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaboratives and Collaborative Council.

Before joining DC Agenda, Walker spent 10 years in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she was promoted from chief of staff for the City Manager to assistant city manager. She directed administrative functions and programs including Finance, General Services, Personnel, cable television operations, and Job Training for Youth. She managed the implementation process for four key community-visioning task forces and was instrumental in securing a permanent revenue base of $3.5 million in new funding for drug prevention, intervention and treatment. 

Walker holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with honors from the George Washington University. She completed training for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. In 1995, she was selected as a fellow in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship Program. 

Ms. Walker is a DC native who was raised in Southeast and is now a resident of Ward 4.