SEATTLE, July 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Trustees of Casey Family Programs announced the appointment today of president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation Norman B. Rice as the newest trustee of its 7-member board.
Rice joins Casey Family Programs with more than two decades of executive leadership in public, private and philanthropic organizations. He will remain president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation, one of the nation's largest community foundations. Rice is also the former mayor of Seattle.
"The members of the Board of Trustees are very pleased to welcome Norm Rice to Casey Family Programs," said Shelia Evans-Tranumn, chair of the Board of Trustees. "His depth of knowledge and broad array of experience will make him a valuable asset to the foundation as we continue building supportive communities so all children may grow up in safe, stable and permanent families."
Headquartered in Seattle, Casey Family Programs is the nation's largest operating foundation whose work is focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building communities of hope for all of America's children and families. Casey Family Programs works in partnership with child welfare systems, families and communities across the United States to prevent child abuse and neglect and to find safe, permanent and loving families for all children. Established by Jim Casey, founder of United Parcel Service, the foundation will invest $1 billion by 2020 to safely reduce the number of children in foster care 50 percent.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that the varied assets of Casey Family Programs are properly and effectively used in support of the organization's objectives and purposes. The board works collaboratively with the president and chief executive officer to develop and review existing and proposed programs, as well as to promote strategic partnerships across the United States.
Rice was selected following a national search to replace retiring trustee and former board chair, Gary Severson, former chairman of the board of First Interstate Bank of Washington. For a complete list of trustees, go to: http://www.casey.org/AboutUs/Leadership.
Between 1999 and 2005, Rice served as president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. During that time he worked with more than 375 financial institutions to support affordable housing programs and economic development efforts designed to make a wide variety of communities better places to live and work.
Prior to his time at Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, Rice served two terms as mayor of Seattle, earning national praise for revitalizing downtown Seattle and strengthening city neighborhoods through public-private partnerships. While in office, he also advocated for an improved public school system and implemented a model welfare-to-work program.
"I am thrilled to be joining Casey Family Programs," said Rice. "I believe strongly in the foundation's mission of safely reducing the need for foster care by working to create communities of hope that can provide the kinds of support and opportunities that vulnerable children and families need to thrive."
William C. Bell, Casey Family Programs president and CEO, said: "Norm Rice's passion and outstanding history of leadership in community development and civic engagement make him the ideal addition to Casey Family Programs' Board of Trustees. He understands how to engage communities around a vision and inspire change. I believe his guidance will help elevate our work to safely reduce the number of children in foster care and build communities of hope across America."
Rice has received numerous awards for his work, including: the National Award for Leadership on Behalf of Neighborhoods from the National Neighborhood Coalition; the American Jewish Federation's Human Relations Award (with wife Constance Rice); the American Association of Community College Students' Outstanding Alumni Award; and the Mark F. Cooper Leadership Award from the Washington Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Rice has extensive background in community development and has served on a number of boards including the Enterprise Foundation, 5th Avenue Theatre, YMCA of Greater Seattle and United Way of King County. Rice served on the White House Council for Community Solutions during 2010 and 2011 and is currently a member of Brookings Institution's Advisory Committee for Sustainable Communities and serves as chairman of the board of directors for the Northwest African-American Museum. He also serves on the boards of the King County Committee to End Homelessness and HistoryLink.
Rice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and a Master of Arts degree in public administration from the University of Washington. He recently served a three-year term as a Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs. He led the Civic Engagement in the 21st Century project.