WASHINGTON, D.C., January 11, 2007 -- Urban Institute senior fellow Olivia Golden was today named state director of operations by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Golden, who takes up her new position February 12, will oversee 80 state agencies.
Golden, who came to the Urban Institute in June 2004, has guided its Assessing the New Federalism project, which tracked the federal government's transfer of authority for health and social welfare programs to states, and the project's recent transformation into a research unit focusing on low-income working families.
Golden is an experienced public-sector manager and leader and an expert in child and family programs at the federal, state, and local levels, with a special interest in the way services are delivered on the front lines. Her career has combined senior positions in government, academia, and the advocacy arena.
From 2001 to 2004, she directed the District of Columbia's Child and Family Services Agency, leading the agency out of federal court receivership. From 1993 to 2001, she served in two presidentially appointed positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, first as commissioner for children, youth, and families and then as assistant secretary for children and families. In these roles, she was responsible for over 60 programs with budgets totaling $38 billion. These included Head Start; Early Head Start, which was created during her tenure to extend the benefits of Head Start to babies and toddlers; child care programs; child abuse and neglect programs; and the implementation of welfare reform and major changes in the nation's child support program.
She was director of programs and policy at the Children's Defense Fund (1991-1993), lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (1987-1991), and Massachusetts's budget director for human services (1983-1985).
"In a world of overspecialization and underperformance, Olivia has been an exemplar of the multidimensional public servant," said Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute. "Whether as a policymaker, administrator, researcher, or educator, she has worked tirelessly to improve and strengthen the lives of millions of Americans. While her new position is a great opportunity for Olivia and good news for those who care about how well New York's state government runs, her departure will be a huge loss for the Urban Institute."
The author of Poor Children and Welfare Reform (1992), Golden is wrapping up a book on child welfare reform for the Urban Institute Press. She holds a doctorate and a master's degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy and government.
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