Foundation committed to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems
Columbus, Ohio — The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced today that Rob Geen, has been elected as chair of its board of trustees.
Geen formerly served as vice chair and has been a member of the Foundation’s board since 2016. He recently retired from his position as a Director of Policy Reform and Advocacy at the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). In this capacity, he was responsible for designing and implementing an advocacy strategy related to child welfare, juvenile justice and evidence-based practice.
Geen sat on the team that evaluated the Foundation’s signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids®, and delivered the research proving its effectiveness.
“This year, the Foundation will celebrate 13,000 adoptions from foster care, and I am honored to have been a small part in helping to grow this impactful organization and its signature programs,” Geen said. “I believe in the Foundation’s mantra that unadoptable is unacceptable. We still have work to do, and I’m excited to get started as board chair and with our new board members.”
Through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, the Foundation provides funding and establishes innovative co-investment partnerships with states to support the hiring of adoption recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. This model has been proven to be up to three times more effective at finding permanent homes for children who have been lingering in foster care the longest.
“Rob has been a valuable member of the board for more than six years, and I look forward to partnering with him in this new role,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “There are more than 140,000 children lingering care across the U.S. and Canada right now and having skilled leaders like Rob on our board will enhance our work in finding them the forever families they deserve.”
Geen earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago. He resides in Washington, D.C.
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org.
