Washington, D.C., December 13, 2022—After the unanimous election by the Center for Law and Social Policy’s board of trustees, board member David A. Hansell will assume the role of CLASP board chair in January. Mr. Hansell will succeed current board chair, LaVeeda Battle, Esq. who will remain on the CLASP board. He joined the board in 2016 and has served on the board’s development committee.

“We are thrilled and honored to have David assume this leadership role. He brings multifaceted deep experience to lead CLASP’s board of trustees at this critical time in the life of the organization. He has worked tirelessly during his career advocating for policy and legislation essential to the rights, health, and well-being of families and children who have low incomes. And he brings the strengths, wisdom, and experience that CLASP will need to continue to advocate for the sound policies that work to improve the economic lives of people in communities that are low income,” said LaVeeda Battle.

Mr. Hansell has a long and distinguished career in federal, state, and local government as an advocate, administrator, and public policy expert. He has devoted his career in public service to promoting and supporting programs to improve the economic and social well-being of individuals, children, and families. His work has focused on early childhood development, child welfare, income support, workforce engagement, and economic opportunity.

“What attracted me to CLASP originally was its effectiveness at fighting poverty and advocating for people with low incomes and to do so by centering racial equity. In my seven years on the CLASP board of trustees, I’ve seen the organization deepen that commitment,” said David Hansell. “My career in social services has convinced me that any effective responses to poverty in this country must acknowledge the central role that race has played in creating severe disadvantage. I’m enormously honored to take on this role and look forward to working with CLASP’s president and executive director, Indivar Dutta-Gupta, and our incredibly talented and passionate staff to further CLASP’s unique mission.”

Currently, Mr. Hansell is the senior advisor for child welfare policy at Casey Family Programs, the national’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care. Prior to that, he was commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) from 2017 – 2021. ACS is the city agency responsible for child welfare, juvenile justice, and child care services.

Mr. Hansell served in the federal government as acting assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Family (ACF) from 2009 – 2011. ACF is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers and funds a broad range of social and economic support programs focused on child welfare, income support, workforce engagement, and economic development.

Mr. Hansell’s public service career also includes positions as commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, associate commissioner for HIV services in the NYC Department of Health, and chief of staff in the NYC Human Resources Administration. His career also includes consulting support through KMPG from 2012 – 2017 to government clients on a range of issues and challenges around delivering services to constituents across a broad range of critical safety-net programs.

“I could not have asked for a better transition for CLASP’s board chairs: from the wise, steady, and inspiring leadership of LaVeeda Morgan Battle to David Hansell. I’ve been fortunate to have followed David’s career and accomplishments for nearly 15 years. He knows how to make tangible change in the lives of people, including many people of color, who have been systematically held back by our public policies,” said Indivar Dutta-Gupta, president and executive director of CLASP. “And he knows just as well the importance of lived experience and of strong research and advocacy organizations like CLASP in securing changes that make our country more equitable and prosperous. David will not only serve as a thought partner but is also committed to building on LaVeeda’s extraordinary legacy, including further integrating racial equity into the practices of our own board of trustees.”

CLASP’s board of trustees also unanimously elected board member Denea Joseph to serve as its secretary. Ms. Joseph is a national immigrant rights activist for Black immigrants who advocates for the inclusion of their experiences in the national conversation about the needs of undocumented youth across the country. She was a guest of then-Senator Kamala Harris at the 2018 State of the Union address and brings deep expertise to policy advocacy in the Black immigrant community.

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The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty organization advancing policy solutions for people with low incomes. Because poverty in America is inextricably tied to systemic racism, CLASP focuses its policy and advocacy efforts for economic and racial justice on addressing systemic racism as the primary cause of poverty for communities of color.