Dreyfus Rejoins Families International as New Era Commences

Susan Dreyfus, who possesses a passionate belief in mission-driven work, the value of the independence of the nonprofit human services sector, and the critical importance of its impact for the people most in need, has rejoined the Families International group of organizations as president and CEO.

In addition to her role as president and CEO of Families International, Dreyfus is president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, CEO of United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA), CEO of Ways to Work, and a member of the FEI Behavioral Health Board of Directors.

“The new year has brought the Families International group of organizations another committed, driven, and energetic leader with a passion for service and boundless respect for this field,” says Richard Cohen, chair of the Families International Board of Directors and president and CEO of Alliance member Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia. “We are lucky to have Susan. On behalf of the board, I am looking forward to witnessing her successes.”

Dreyfus says she believes strongly in the potential for greater impact to be achieved with and through the power of the many nonprofit human services organizations served by the Families International group of companies, and she is excited to be a part of it. She shares her excitement in her Perspectives column on page 3, but adds, “Through maximizing the logical synergies we possess internally and looking externally through growth and partnerships, we can achieve our ultimate vision of a healthy 
society and strong communities for all children and families.”

Most recently, Dreyfus was secretary of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, where she was a member of the cabinet of Gov. Christine Gregoire. She was appointed to this role in May 2009. As secretary, she led the largest Washington state agency through the toughest budget crisis since the Great Depression. The agency has an $11 billion biennial budget, more than 16,000 employees, and is responsible for programs and systems that include:

• Child welfare
• Juvenile justice
• Aging and disability services
• Substance abuse and mental health
• Vocational rehabilitation
• State-run facilities and psychiatric hospitals
• Services for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Eligibility services
• The state’s welfare reform program, WorkFirst

In announcing Dreyfus’ departure from her state post, Gregoire said, “I asked Susan to join us as a change agent, a visionary, and a leader. She has repeatedly confirmed my confidence in her. She has managed an extremely complex agency through one of the greatest challenges possible and has done so with tenacity, vision, and positive results.”

Currently, Dreyfus is on the board of directors of Chapin Hall Center for Children and has been vice president of the board of the American Public Human Services Association, which serves and represents public sector human service organizations.

She was appointed senior vice president and COO of the Alliance in January 2003. Later in her tenure, she added COO for Families International to her role. She left the Alliance and Families International in July 2007 to join the administration of Rogers Behavioral Health Inc., Oconomowoc, Wis. This post provided Dreyfus with an excellent opportunity to learn more about health care. It also allowed her to remain in southeast Wisconsin so she could help her father-in-law, former Wisconsin 
Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, live out his last 
few years.

Dreyfus was administrator of the Wisconsin Division of Children and Family Services for more than six years before joining the Alliance and Families International. She helped to design the division as part of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services after being appointed as its first administrator by Gov. Tommy Thompson in 1996.

Returning Home

Undoubtedly, the people who are happiest to welcome Dreyfus back to Wisconsin are her family members. During her two-year tenure in Washington, she shared a long-distance love affair with her husband of 34 years, Lee Sherman Dreyfus Jr., who serves as a County Circuit Court judge in Waukesha County, Wis.

Her son Lee III, daughter-in-law Jamie, and 18-month-old grandson Jackson, live just 10 minutes from the Families International headquarters in Milwaukee. Dreyfus says she is looking forward to having Jackson visit the office and stopping by his home after work to read him bedtime stories.

Through her frequent travels, Dreyfus also expects to more frequently visit with her daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Robert in New York, as well as her daughter Clare and Clare’s partner Sasha in Washington, D.C.

“I have returned home in a couple different ways,” Dreyfus says. “Being closer and more accessible to my family, especially my young grandson, is wonderful. Coming back to the Families International group of companies is exciting and exhilarating.”

Dreyfus takes over for her dear friend and mentor, the late Peter Goldberg, who died suddenly Aug. 12, 2011. She recognizes that, while replacing Goldberg is a tall task, it was he who helped prepare her for this role. “There is no doubt in my mind that I was a better public sector leader because of Peter Goldberg, and I am now ready to serve as his successor,” she says. “He was a great friend and mentor, and I will strive each day to exceed his expectations.”

Looking Forward

Dreyfus is cognizant of the unique challenges facing nonprofit human services organizations. However, she encourages agencies, in light of the acute issues facing children, families, and communities, to seize this opportunity to shine.

“There is an urgency in the nonprofit sector now more than ever. I believe I am being called to find and leverage every possible synergy and resource through unique and nontraditional partnerships among our agencies, our communities, and across the sectors. These are going to be necessary if we are to assure the critical safety net our vulnerable children, families, and adults need to help them realize their potential.”

She adds, “I believe America needs a strong nonprofit human services sector now more than ever. We must move forward from a position of strength, with an unwavering determination to make sure every child, 
every family, every adult, every neighborhood, and every community has the ability to thrive 
and to prosper.”

Currently in the midst of a 120-day transition plan that features numerous meetings with representatives of Alliance and UNCA members, other national nonprofits, government entities, and the media, Dreyfus frequently has shared her key message and goals: “This is our moment; this is when this sector will shine its brightest,” she says. “This crucial and exciting time is full of opportunity, yet many challenges. But I know that Alliance and UNCA members, with the assistance and leadership capacity building services of Families International and its organizations, can stand strong and come through this time more impactful than they ever thought possible.” 

Dreyfus Rejoins Families International as New Era Commences