Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County Appoints New Chief Program and Operations Officer
Social sector leader with international experience to strengthen and oversee Catholic Charities’ programs and operations
SAN JOSE, CA, November 17, 2014 – Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Copeland-Carson, PhD has been named the new Chief Program and Operations Officer, effective November 17, 2014.
As Chief Program and Operations Officer, Dr. Copeland-Carson will be a principal member of the Catholic Charities’ executive team, reporting to CEO Gregory R. Kepferle, and will provide leadership for the Programs and Operations divisions. She will also play a key role in the organization’s strategic plan.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Copeland-Carson to Catholic Charities,” said Kepferle. “She is a seasoned senior leader in the social sector and her experience has helped improve the lives of millions, regionally and internationally. We look forward to her leadership in helping our Programs and Operations divisions to be even more effective in serving people in need in Santa Clara County.”
Dr. Copeland-Carson possesses more than 30 years experience leading complex social service and change programs throughout the U.S. and worldwide. For the last decade, she was President of Copeland Carson & Associates where she provided strategy, program and evaluation services to corporate, foundation, nonprofit, and government clients in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Brazil. Key community health and development clients have included the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ford Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Northwest Area Foundation, and many others.
Dr. Copeland-Carson spent six years as the Managing Director/Vice President for U.S. Bank Private Client Group, Philanthropic Services. As the first national Managing Director for philanthropy, she led product design and compliance to create and manage foundations and grantmaking for high net worth private clients and trusts.
Dr. Copeland-Carson was also Managing Director of Twin Cities RISE!, a start-up social enterprise designed to address concentrated poverty in low-income communities of color in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. She created and managed the infrastructure for the award-winning organization, which operated as a hybrid employment agency service providing customized training, coaching, and placement of employees for a fee to corporations. Their success helped to innovate pay-for-performance models and social impact bonds in Minnesota.
Trained as an anthropologist and urban designer, Dr. Copeland-Carson also applied her skills as an ethnographer and designer in her roles as the first executive director of the African Women’s Development Fund USA (AWDF USA) and program vice president of The Philadelphia Foundation.
Dr. Copeland-Carson is also a teacher, trainer, blogger, frequently sought after speaker, and published author on a wide range of business and social sector issues. Her writings on diaspora philanthropy, cross-cultural health, African and evaluation issues have been influential in multiple fields. As the Founder of the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network (PAWPNet) and Black Philanthropy Month, her work has been recognized with several leadership awards. Most recently she received the 2013 Hero for Health Award from the Mills Peninsula Health Foundation, African-American Community Health Advisory Committee, and San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for health advocacy in disadvantaged communities.
Dr. Copeland-Carson holds two masters degrees, one in urban planning and the other in cultural anthropology, with a PhD in Anthropology, all from the University of Pennsylvania. Specializing in the U.S., Africa, and South Asia, her undergraduate degrees are from Georgetown University in Literature and African studies. She also studied African history, culture, languages and religion at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
“Joining Catholic Charities in this new role is a great opportunity for me to continue helping all disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County, especially immigrants, seniors, and the poor,” said Dr. Copeland-Carson. “I look forward to leveraging my background in management, program design, administration, and philanthropy towards the reduction of poverty and promotion of social justice. My faith has been the foundation of my social justice career, and I am honored and excited to join an organization that touches the lives of more than 40,000 in the area every year.”
About Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is working to cut poverty by helping people get the tools they need to become more self-reliant. Catholic Charities offers a hand up rather than a hand out through a wide range of services. The agency serves more than 40,000 people each year of all cultures and beliefs in Santa Clara County. For more information, visit www.catholiccharitiesscc.org.
— # # # —
MEDIA CONTACT:
Caroline Ocampo
Chief of Communications
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
(408) 325-5122
cocampo@catholiccharitiesscc.org
Adelene Ramos
Public Affairs Assistant
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
(408) 325-5264
aramos@catholiccharitiesscc.org