Our Staff
The Forum for Youth Investment was founded in 1998 by Karen Pittman and Merita Irby, two of the country’s top leaders on youth issues and youth policy. The Forum’s diverse staff includes researchers, educators, policy analysts, youth work practitioners, business professionals, advocates and communications specialists.
Executive Staff
- merita@forumfyi.org
Merita Irby is the Managing Director of the Forum, which she co-founded in 1998 with Karen Pittman.
Program Staff
- nicole@forumfyi.org
Nicole Yohalem is a Program Director at the Forum where she oversees work related to out-of-school time, youth action and bridging research, policy and practice.
- elizabeth@forumfyi.org
Elizabeth Gaines is a Program Director at the Forum where she oversees the Forum’s work related to state and local policy and manages the partnerships with national membership organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association and KIDS COUNT.
- alicia@forumfyi.org
Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom is a Program Manager at the Forum where she oversees national and regional projects related to policy development, strategic alignment and general technical assistance on youth-focused policy and programmatic initiatives.
- ian@forumfyi.org
Ian is a Senior Program Associate at the Forum where he engages the Forum’s work related to state and local policy and manages the partnerships with national membership organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governors Association.
- thaddeus@forumfyi.org
Thaddeus Ferber is a Program Director at the Forum where he oversees work related to policy.
- deborah@forumfyi.org
Deborah Craig, Senior Fellow with the Forum, graduated from Illinois State University in 1974. Over many years, Deborah established herself in the youth work field from the ground up as a front line youth worker, supervisor and program director, primarily in adolescent residential treatment settings.
- danielle@forumfyi.org
As Program Assistant, Danielle provides support for state and local policy projects.
Communications Staff
- weekly@connectforkids.org
Caitlin is a Communications Consultant with the Forum. She primarily works on Connect for Kids, as the Editor of the CFK Update.
Information Systems/Office Management Staff
- rachel@forumfyi.org
Rachel is the Manager of Finance and Administration at the Forum for Youth Investment.
- galen@forumfyi.org
Galen is the Information Systems Manager for the Forum for Youth Investment.
- rosa@forumfyi.org
Rosa is the Information and Operations Assistant at the Forum for Youth Investment.
- patricia@forumfyi.org
Patricia joined the Forum in June 2008. Before coming to the Forum, she graduated cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Finance and Marketing and a Certificate in Leadership in Ethics.
Executive Support Staff
- andrea@forumfyi.org
Andrea is the Special Assistant to Karen Pittman, Executive Director of the Forum.
- blake@forumfyi.org
Blake is the Special Assistant to Merita Irby, the Managing Director at the Forum.
- raegan@forumfyi.org
Raegan is the Executive Assistant to Merita Irby, Managing Director of the Forum.
David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality Staff
The Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ) is a joint venture between the Forum for Youth Investment and the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. CYPQ is charged with positioning point of service quality as a powerful public idea that drives the out-of-school time field toward higher levels of understanding, expectation and action about the quality of experiences available to children and youth.
- charles@cypq.org
Charles Smith is the Director of the Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ), a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.
- tom@cypq.org
Tom is the Manager of Research Services at the Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ), a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.
- joe@cypq.org
Joe Bertoletti is the Senior Program Associate of the Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ), a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.
- samantha@cypq.org
Samantha is a Research Assistant at the Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ), a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.
- kynisha@cypq.org
Kynisha Johnson is the Office Manager of the Center for Youth Program Quality (CYPQ), a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.
- erica@cypq.org
Erica is the Field Services Manager at the Center for Youth Program Quality, a joint venture of the Forum and High/Scope.