Stepleton named director of Brown School Policy Forum

Susan Stepleton, PhD, former president and CEO of Parents as Teachers, recently joined the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis as director of its Policy Forum.

A new initiative of the Brown School, the forum will host a series of programs and collaborations designed to enhance the quality of policy discussion and decision making in St. Louis, across the country and around the world.

Stepleton

In time, the forum will serve as an engine to help expand the reach of faculty research in ways that impact policy and practice.

“Sue brings a wealth of experience not only in direct service administration but also in public policy at the state and federal levels,” says Edward F. Lawlor, PhD, dean and the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at the Brown School.

“As director, she will refine the strategic vision and mission of the forum, establish programming and manage daily operations. Sue will be working closely with our faculty, staff and external constituents to build this initiative.”

At Parents as Teachers, Stepleton led an international evidence-based home visiting program serving more than 350,000 children per year. Prior to that, she was executive director of Edgewood Children’s Center, a complex social service agency providing treatment and special education for children and families impacted by severe abuse, neglect or mental health issues.

Since 2006, Stepleton has served on the Missouri Governor’s Coordinating Board for Early Childhood. She also sits on the Advantage Capital Community Development Fund National Advisory Board, the Board of the Council on Accreditation and the Board of the YWCA of Greater St. Louis. Among other volunteer activities, she is vice-chair of the Eden Theological Seminary Board of Trustees.

Stepleton has received numerous honors and awards including being named a Distinguished Alumna of both Washington University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, an honorary doctor of humanities from Webster University and recipient of the 2010 Coro Leadership Award.

Stepleton earned a doctorate in public policy analysis and administration from Saint Louis University, a master’s of social work and a master’s from Washington University, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

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