Meet Federal Staff

Debbie A. Powell, Deputy Associate Commissioner, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Debbie A. Powell, serves as the Deputy Associate Commissioner for the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).  Ms. Powell has held several senior level leadership positions over the past 25 years within the Department of HHS including at the Office of Child Care, the Office of Community Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Indian Health Service, and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Most recently at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Ms. Powell has held the positions as the Director of technical assistance at the Office of Child Care, the Director of discretionary grant programs at the Office of Community Services, the Deputy Commissioner at the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, and the Division Chief in the division of acquisition management. Ms. Powell has provided sustained leadership for national, community-based and faith-based programs that serve and support vulnerable at-risk children, youth, families and adults in all of the leadership positions held.

Sanzanna Dean, PhD, Director, Division of Runaway and Homeless Youth, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Dr. Sanzanna Dean is the Director for the Division of Runaway and Homeless Youth with the Family and Youth Services Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families. She brings to her role over twenty years of experience in program development, grants management, policy analysis and evaluation of youth programs. Dr. Dean has worked across sectors to address the unique needs of disconnected youth and has effectively leveraged partnerships to provide services and enhance supports for youth in the areas of education and employment, justice system involvement, and youth homelessness, including developing services for youth who are pregnant or parenting and those experiencing substance abuse and/or mental health disorders. Equipped with an intimate understanding of the unique needs of vulnerable youth populations, Dr. Dean is driven by her mission to empower youth to envision success and seek opportunities that create a pathway to achieve their dreams.

Christopher Holloway, Program Manager, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Christopher Holloway is a Program Manager in the Administration for Children and Families’ Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), where he is responsible for managing training and technical assistance, research, evaluation, and program support for the Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program. Prior to joining FYSB and the RHY Program, Holloway served for more than 15 years in the Department of Justice (DOJ), where he led efforts in the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to provide support to victims of federal crime, terrorism, and incidents of mass casualty, and those living in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. During his tenure at the DOJ, Holloway served with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for 12 years, developing and managing initiatives to prevent and respond to the abduction and exploitation of children, including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program and other programs designed to address the commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children.

Keith Wallace, Regional Program Manager, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Keith Wallace serves as the Regional Program Manager for Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. He began his federal service in 2016. Wallace served as the Executive Director of a runaway and homeless youth program that provided services to children and youth. He has over 20 years of experience as a grant writer and reviewer, peer reviewer, and training and technical assistance provider. Wallace was a 16-year-old runaway who never returned home, providing a unique perspective to his position. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) and continued graduate studies in Family Therapy at HSU.

Jeff Daniels, Regional Program Manager, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Jeff Daniels is a Regional Program Manager for Regions 5, 8, 9, and 10. He has over 22 years of leadership, management, and administrative experience in government and with the Department of Defense, with expertise in leadership development, strategic planning, RHY program partnership, policy development, grant management, budget oversight, and Congressional finance. He has held leadership positions as the Family Service Center Director, Community Service Center Director, Youth Program Director, and Commanding Officer of a Transition Team. In his previous position as an active duty service member in the Marine Corps, Daniels was responsible for all fiscal, administrative, and management duties for an agency with an annual budget exceeding $14 million. He led and supervised over 50 military and civilian personnel in a seven-state region, encompassing the Southwestern United States. Additionally, while serving as the Transition Team Commanding Officer, Daniels worked with the Iraqi Government, establishing runaway and homeless shelters, emergency clinics, and training procedures for over 100 personnel. He has a Bachelor of Science in Government, a Master of Science in Human Development from Texas A&M University, and an M.B.A. from Webster University.