Over the past twenty-five years, Cynthia Heard has been an intricate partner in the field of social services. As a strong Child Welfare supporter and executive leader, Cynthia worked alongside others to create a nationally acclaimed community and educational model that help create systemic change for at risk youth and families across the United States. Most recently, Cynthia has helped to build and secure funding for collaborative child welfare initiatives, public/private partnerships, educational partnerships and innovative programs focusing on at-risk and foster youth throughout the country as well as in Belize, Bermuda Bahamas and in Ghana.  She has developed and structured national models that are replicable and now demonstrate success and innovation.  Cynthia has developed a multitude of state and federal program initiatives. She has worked across party lines using legislative advocacy to focus on new avenues to break down the barriers of injustice that surround at-risk youth and families in poverty.

In 2003, Cynthia Heard continued her community spirit and joined forces with Children Uniting Nations, as the Executive Vice President of Programs. She continuously works to establish community advocacy, national agendas/strategies, social services collaborative partnerships and programmatic support for at-risk individuals and communities in America and Internationally. As a strong community leader, Cynthia has provided guidance to our local and national political leaders and corporate executives to focus and design fundamental concepts and laws that focus on changes for communities, children and families who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the country.

Over the past years, she has worked closely with various legislative leaders to change the face of our nation along with partners such as the University of Southern California, RAND Corporation, California Endowment, Weingart and the Casey Family Foundations on multiple Congressional Conferences in Washington DC in “Keeping the Promise to Children”.

For many years she worked nationally to highlight initiatives and promote legislation on many key child welfare models across the United States, working along Congresswoman Karen Bass, Chair of the House Financial Services Committee Maxine Waters, Congressman Adam Schiff, former Senator Kamala Harris, former Secretary Hillary Clinton, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In 2013, Cynthia joined the YWCA Greater Los Angeles as the Vice President of Business Development, Advocacy and Communications.  Her role is to increase the visibility, sustainability, advocacy both legislatively and through public /private partnerships and stakeholders.

Cynthia received her Bachelor of Art in Psychology from the University of Southern California and went on to pursue her master’s degree from Howard University in Washington D.C. Cynthia continues to work diligently to facilitate social changes within at-risk communities throughout Los Angeles County and across America. In 2018, she joined the New Strategies Global Social Enterprise Initiative Team. Cynthia currently serves on the Black Alumni Association Advisory Council as well as numerous other boards to support foster care, international policy for countries of color and sickle cell disease.