On Thursday, Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) Executive Director Nancy Gannon Hornberger announced that she will be resigning from the position this August.
Hornberger has been a member of the CJJ for nearly a decade and a half. Prior to serving as the organization’s executive director, Hornberger also served as CJJ’s deputy executive director.
Her career in youth development, delinquency prevention and public policy stretches back a quarter century, having received commendation for her efforts from President Bill Clinton in 1996. As an advocate, she fought a four year battle for the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which was ultimately authorized by Congress in 2002. Additionally, she has served as a part of numerous juvenile justice and youth-centric organizations, including the ACT 4 Juvenile Justice initiative, Youth ALIVE! and the Montgomery County, Commission on Juvenile Justice in Maryland.
As executive director of CJJ, she has also collaborated with a who’s who list of juvenile justice and youth-advocacy groups and efforts, including the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change program and the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI.)
Later this year, Hornberger will take over as CEO for Social Advocates for Youth San Diego (SAY San Diego,) a nonprofit that provides, among other community services, delinquency prevention, juvenile diversions and extended afterschool programming.
“Over the 14 years, I have been fortunate to be a part of the rich fabric of [CJJ,]” Hornberger stated in an official announcement. “As I depart, I am certain of CJJ’s esteemed position in the national field of juvenile justice.”
Marie Williams, Deputy Director of CJJ, on the resignation, said, “Nancy Gannon Hornberger’s departure from CJJ is undoubtedly a loss to the organization, but she’s leaving behind a legacy of great leadership and as a tireless advocate for juvenile justice reform. But I’m heartened to know that she will continue to be a champion for children and families when she assumes her position as CEO at SAY San Diego.”
Jessica Kendall contributed to this story.