A Testament to the Power of the Human Spirit to Overcome Overwhelming Odds

Monday, February 27

Lucas Boyce

Director of community relations, multicultural insights, and government affairs

Orlando Magic, Orlando, Florida

Lucas Boyce was born two months premature to a 19-year-old single mother who traded sex for drugs. When Boyce was just 10 days old, he was taken in by a loving foster mother who adopted him three years later. Boyce struggled in school from the beginning, even failing kindergarten, but against the odds, Boyce refused to become a statistic. The love and guidance of his adoptive mother empowered Boyce with the dreams and the drive to become something more.

Boyce’s new book, Living Proof: From Foster Care to the White House and the NBA chronicles his journey from humble beginnings to his current role as prominent NBA executive with an impassioned commitment to changing other young lives—especially those most at-risk. Prior to joining the Orlando Magic, Boyce served in the White House under President George W. Bush and in the Office of Public Liaison, where he directed African American and professional sports outreach. He also held a position in the Office of Political Affairs where he frequently traveled on Air Force One to monitor political activities and track key races for the President.

A Healing Network for Aboriginals Haunted by the Legacy of Canada’s Residential Schools

Monday, February 27

Dr. Michael DeGagné

Executive director, Aboriginal Healing Foundation

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Michael DeGagné is the executive director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which supports community-based healing initiatives that address the painful intergenerational legacy of abuse suffered by Aboriginal people in Canada’s Indian Residential School System. DeGagné has been a prominent leader and a land claims negotiator in the fields of Aboriginal addictions and mental health for the past 25 years. DeGagné serves as chair of the Child Welfare League of Canada’s Executive Committee and also lectures and teaches on Aboriginal issues, residential schools, reconciliation, and governance throughout Canada and internationally.

The Ambitious Campaign for Caring Parents, Safe Homes, and a Promising Future for America’s Vulnerable Children

Tuesday, February 28

Dr. William C. Bell

President and CEO, Casey Family Programs

Seattle, Washington

Casey Family Programs is pioneering partnerships with jurisdictions nationwide in an ambitious endeavor to give America’s vulnerable children the best chance of growing up successfully. At the forefront of this endeavor is Dr. William C. Bell, one of America’s leading authorities in the child welfare field and an esteemed expert on foster care. Bell’s leadership has been the guiding influence for Casey’s 2020 Strategy for America’s Children, a campaign that aims to reduce the number of children in foster care by 50% and improve the lives of children who remain in care by 2020.

Prior to becoming president and CEO of Casey Family Programs in 2006, Bell served as the foundation’s executive vice president for child and family services, providing strategic direction to nine field offices and leading a staff working directly with young people from the public child welfare system. Before joining Casey Family Programs, he served as commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, where he managed child welfare services with a staff of more than 7,000 and a budget of about $2.4 billion.

Leading A Call To Action

Tuesday, February 28

Dr. Sheryl Brissett Chapman

Executive director, National Center for Children and Families

Bethesda, Maryland

Dr. Brissett Chapman serves as the Executive Director of the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF). NCCF provides residential and community-based services for abused and neglected adolescents, for victims of domestic violence, and for homeless and impoverished families and their children in the Washington-Baltimore, National Capital region.

Dr. Brissett Chapman serves on numerous local and national Boards, has been an expert panelist for the D.C. Superior Court, addressing service reforms for the juvenile justice system, and facilitates organizational change for numerous national and community based corporations in both the public and private sectors. She also lectures at Howard University School of Social Work.  In 2005, she received the National Association of Social Workers Lifetime Achievement Award, for consistent advocacy for change in policy and practice affecting vulnerable children and families.