Elizabeth Darling, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families  

Elizabeth Darling is the commissioner at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACYF has two bureaus under Darling’s leadership – the Children’s Bureau and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. In addition to her Senate-confirmed position in the Trump Administration, she also serves as the acting associate commissioner at the Family and Youth Services Bureau within ACYF. Darling was most recently the president and chief executive officer of the OneStar Foundation, which was created to support the state of Texas by strengthening the nonprofit sector. Before that position, she was the chief operating officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service within the federal government. Before those responsibilities, she served as deputy secretary at the Maryland Department of Human Resources. In that capacity, she had oversight of childcare, child support, child welfare, domestic violence, and family assistance programs, in addition to overseeing the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps, and Medicaid programs. Darling’s current position as ACYF commissioner represents her second appointment at HHS. During the Bush Administration, she was the founding director of HHS’ Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, an office that continues to provide valuable support, including for ACF programs. Before coming to HHS for the first time, Darling served as the Vice Chair of the Texas Department of Human Services, overseeing welfare-to-work programs under the landmark 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. Elizabeth Darling has a bachelor of science in education from Baylor University and is an adoptive mother, with three children and two grandchildren.

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

Debbie A. Powell is the Deputy Associate Commissioner for the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), where she is the principal adviser to the FYSB Associate Commissioner on family and youth issues. Before coming to FYSB, Ms. Powell held various senior leadership positions at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Indian Health Service, and the Food and Drug Administration, where she held senior acquisition management and policy positions for more than 20 years. Most recently at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Ms. Powell has held senior positions as the Director of Technical Assistance at the Child Care Bureau, the Director of Discretionary Grant Programs at the Office of Community Services, Deputy Commissioner at the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, and Branch Chief in the Division of Acquisition Management. Ms. Powell has provided sustained leadership for national and community-based programs that serve and support individuals with developmental disabilities and low-income individuals and families.

Resa Matthew, PhD, MPH, Director, Division of Adolescent Development and Support Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau

Dr. Resa Matthew serves as the Director for the Division of Adolescent Development and Support in the Family and Youth Services Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families. She oversees the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Runaway and Homeless Youth programs that prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, provides shelter and services for youth, and promote safety, stability, and well-being for young people who have experienced homelessness, or have had exposure to violence, neglect, and trauma. Dr. Matthew has over 24 years of experience working with federal, state, and local governments on public health and behavioral health-related initiatives, including large, complex research and evaluation projects. Her work has focused on adolescent pregnancy prevention, homelessness among youth, HIV/AIDS, including rapid HIV testing, substance abuse, maternal and child health, mental health, and knowledge dissemination. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at numerous conferences, and received several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award for Evaluation.

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, and 6. 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.

Areon Kelvington, Regional Program Manager, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau
Areon Kelvington is a Regional Program Manager for Regions 4, 5, and 7. His early life experiences instilled a strong desire to be a difference-maker. For 30 years, he has been passionately engaged in activities focused on generating transformative results in the lives of children, youth, and families. Since 2003, he has worked directly with runaway and homeless youth; veterans, adults, and families experiencing homelessness; communities and organizations determined to end homelessness; and as an advocate for improvements to federal policy on homelessness. Recently, Kelvington has been leading FYSB’s efforts surrounding community engagement and social capital initiatives.

Jeff Daniels, Regional Program Manager, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau
Jeff Daniels is a Regional Program Manager for Regions 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.