Drew Child Development Corporation’s (Drew CDC) Board of Directors has named Jackie Clarke as its new president and CEO, effective July 2022.
A veteran at Drew CDC, board members cited Clarke’s passion and commitment to the community in her role as chief operations officer/chief financial officer over the past 10 years as a factor in selecting her for the position
Also, Clarke is credited with spearheading several community partnership projects and amassing a track record of solid leadership both inside and outside of nonprofit management. Combined with her deep knowledge of the nonprofit industry and her institutional tenure, the board believed Clarke possesses the skills and experience to lead Drew CDC into the future.
“Jackie is exceptionally qualified for the appointment, given her agility, program creativity and financial expertise,” said Dru Garcia-Richardson, board chair.
“Over the past 11 years, Jackie has proven her commitment to our mission and has shown her ability to successfully guide and manage the operations of the agency. We believe the agency will continue to flourish under her leadership through the next chapter of its life cycle.”
Prior to her career at Drew CDC, Clarke worked as an audit manager for regional and mid-sized CPA firms. As an audit manager, she worked with large charter school networks, public charities, and private foundations in Southern California with assets ranging from $8 million to $1 billion.
She holds a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland, is a Certified Public Accountant, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Clarke succeeds Dr. Mike Jackson, who will retire on June 30, and who mentored Clarke throughout his tenure and specifically as part of Drew CDC’s succession planning process.
Since Jackson joined Drew CDC in 2002, the organization has thrived under his direction. He successfully led the nonprofit through significant growth and service diversification over the past 20 years, cultivating the organization’s financial resources and growing the staff from 53 to 130 members.
Jackson also presided over the creation of two of Drew CDC’s four current core programming pillars – Child Care Subsidy and Mental Health Programs – which were added to the existing Early Childhood Education and Family Preservation programs.
