NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Apr 28, 2011) - "I am pleased to announce on behalf of our entire board that Emily Forhman has been appointed the new executive director of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children. Emily's experience as an organizational leader in the non-profit sector combined with her clinical expertise and demonstrated caring for the welfare of children make her the perfect choice," said Maud Welles, president of the board of Spence-Chapin.
Forhman brings a wealth of knowledge to this position after 26 years in delivering services to children and families that included one-to-one mentoring, family systems-based counseling, and skill-based learning programs. She said, "I am honored to join Spence-Chapin and use my professional and personal experience to increase understanding about adoption. I am hoping to promote my belief that it is the responsibility of each of us to give children -- born into circumstances that might limit their ability to flourish and thrive -- a second chance. Spence-Chapin is a place for second chances."
For the past 11 years, Forhman has been executive director of Catholic Big Sisters and Big Brothers (CBSBB), a not-for-profit agency located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Under her leadership, CBSBB evolved to address the needs of the New York community irrespective of religion or ethnic background. By translating the vision and agency mission into building relationships across various constituencies, she was a catalyst for the agency's growth -- tripling its operating budget and leading the agency in a successful merger in 2005 that strengthened and deepened its programmatic services. She also was key in developing a comprehensive agency model that focused on surrounding the child and family with services while implementing outcome and evaluation measures that proved the lasting impact.
Emily Forhman's prior positions were director of programs for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New York City and systems manager at Avon Products, Inc. She received her MSW from Fordham University School of Social Work and her BSW from Adelphi University.
Forhman resides in New York with her 10-year-old daughter Katie, adopted from Hungary.
Spence-Chapin (www.spence-chapin.org) traces its roots back to 1908 when two independent nurseries for orphans were founded in New York City. They joined in 1943 to become Spence-Chapin Services. In 1946, its highly respected African-American program was started, and in 1975, the agency launched its first international adoption program. The agency focuses on finding adoptive homes for infants and young children in need of families both in the greater New York-area and around the world. It offers free services and counseling to pregnant women throughout New York City, Long Island, and Northern and Central New Jersey, and post-adoption services to all adoptive families through its Adoption Resource Center. Spence-Chapin is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.
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PHOTO: Emily Forhman appointed new Executive Director of Spence-Chapin Services
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