Cynthia Heard

Over the past twenty four years, Cynthia Heard has been an intricate partner in the field of social services. As a strong Child Welfare supporter and executive leader, Cynthia worked hand in hand with Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect to create a nationally acclaimed community and educational “Models” that help create systemic change for at risk youth and families across the country. Most recently, Cynthia has help build and secure funding for collaborative child welfare initiatives, building private /public partnerships, educational partnerships and innovative continuums focusing on at risk and foster youth throughout Los Angeles, New York, Florida and in Washington DC. She has developed and structured national models that are replicable and now demonstrate success and innovation. Cynthia Heard helped pioneer many of the social service models as a leader of the Los Angeles County Family Preservation, Wrap Around, Family Support Programs Models through the Dept of Children and Family Services. She worked closely with state, federal and county entities to include HUD, HACLA, Dept of Corrections, Dept of Labor, Dept of Education, Dept of Health and Human Services, SAMSA, Veterans Administration, CDBG, Dept of Public Social Services and Dept of Mental Health to create change for foster, at risk youth and families. She has developed multiple state and federal program initiatives.

In addition to working across the bi-partisan aisles through legislative advocacy and awareness find new avenues to breakdown the injustices of our country surround at risk youth and families in poverty. She has worked to strengthen and develop model nonprofits in Los Angeles to also include emancipation and delinquent youth programs, state of the art residential treatment facilities, community development, social services, employment and community resource centers throughout Los Angeles County’s most needed areas.

In 2003, Cynthia Heard continued her community spirit and joined forces with Children Uniting Nations, as the Executive Vice President of Programs. She continuously works to establish community advocacy, national agendas/strategies, social services collaborative partnerships and programmatic support for at risk and foster youth in America and internationally. As a strong community leader, Cynthia has provided guidance to our local and national political leaders and corporate executives to focus and design fundamental concepts and laws that focus on changes for communities, children and families who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the country.

Over the past seven years, she has been at the forefront in Washington DC working closely with various legislative leaders in partnership to change the face of our nation. She has been the lead funding and coordinating leader along with co-partner California Endowment and Casey Family Foundation on multiple Congressional Conferences in Washington DC to bring corporations, leaders, legislators and community to the legislative forefront of the Congressional “Keeping the Promise to America’s Children”. Many years she has worked to nationally highlight Human Trafficking Initiatives and promote legislation on many key Trauma Based Models across the United States working along Congresswoman Karen Bass, Congresswoman Mary Landrieu and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to name a few.

In April 2013, Cynthia joined the YWCA Greater Los Angeles as the Vice President of Communications and Advocacy. She will work in partnership and under the direction of with Faye Washington, YWCA Greater Los Angeles, President /CEO to increase the visibility, sustainability, advocacy both legislatively and through public /private partnerships. In 2014, she was promoted to Vice President of Business Development and Communications.

Cynthia received her Bachelor of Art in Psychology from the University of Southern California and went on to pursue her master’s degree from Howard University in Washington D.C. Since 1989, she has worked diligently to facilitate social changes within at risk communities throughout Los Angeles County and across America.