Our Staff

The Forum for Youth Investment was founded in 1998 by Karen Pittman and Merita Irby, two of the country’s top leaders on youth issues and youth policy. The Forum’s diverse staff includes researchers, educators, policy analysts, youth work practitioners, business professionals, advocates and communications specialists.


Executive Staff

  • karen@forumfyi.org

    Karen is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forum.

  • merita@forumfyi.org

    Merita is the Co-Founder, Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer of the Forum, which she co-founded in 1998 with Karen Pittman.

  • rob@forumfyi.org

    Rob is the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the Forum.

Program Staff

  • andrea@forumfyi.org

    Andrea is a Senior Program Associate and the Special Assistant to Karen Pittman, President and CEO.

  • nicole@forumfyi.org

    Nicole is a Director of Special Projects.

  • elizabeth@forumfyi.org

    Elizabeth oversees the Forum’s work related to state and local policy and manages various national partnerships and networks of legislators, advocates and youth councils.  She is the Forum's primary contact for their partnership with NCSL.

  • thaddeus@forumfyi.org

    Thaddeus is the Vice President of Policy.

    Thaddeus is a leading national voice on aligning inter-agency policy efforts for children and youth, infusing youth voice into public policy, and utilizing online communications and advocacy.

  • nalini@forumfyi.org

    Nalini is a Senior Program Associate.

  • ian@forumfyi.org

    Ian is a Program Manager.

  • alicia@forumfyi.org

    Alicia is a Senior Program Manager.

  • emily@forumfyi.org

    Emily is a Policy Associate.

  • danielle@forumfyi.org

    Danielle is a Policy Associate.

  • stephanie@forumfyi.org

    Stephanie is a Program Associate.

  • kiley@forumfyi.org

    Kiley is a Program Manager.

  • larry@forumfyi.org

    Larry is the Director of Field Services.

Communications Staff

  • laura@forumfyi.org

    Laura is the Designer and Communications Associate.

  • caitlin@forumfyi.org

    Caitlin is the Managing Editor of SparkAction.

  • shane@forumfyi.org

    Shané is the SparkAction Multimedia Editorial Associate.

Information Systems/Office Management Staff

  • galen@forumfyi.org

    Galen is the Information Technology and Facilities Manager.

  • rosa@forumfyi.org

    Rosa is the Information and Facilities Associate.

    Rosa joined the Forum in 2002. She is responsible for entering incoming publications into the electronic library catalog, as well as organizing and shelving such publications in the Forum library. Rosa also helps to maintain the cleanliness and smooth operation of meetings at the Cady-Lee.

  • adriana@forumfyi.org

    Adriana is the Grants Administrator and Budgets Specialist.

  • patricia@forumfyi.org

    Patricia is the Finance Associate.

Senior Fellows

  • bob@forumfyi.org

    Bob is a Senior Fellow.

Executive Support Staff

  • raegan@forumfyi.org

    Raegan is the Executive Assistant to Merita Irby, Exective Vice President and Chief Program Officer.

David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality

The Weikart Center is a joint venture between the Forum for Youth Investment and the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. The Weikart Center is charged with positioning point of service quality as a powerful public idea that drives the out-of-school time field toward higher levels of understanding, expectation and action about the quality of experiences available to children and youth.


  • charles@cypq.org

    Charles is the Executive Director of the Weikart Center and the Vice President of Research at the Forum.

  • leah@cypq.org

    Leah is a Research Assistant at the Weikart Center.

  • gina@cypq.org

    Gina is a Senior Program Associate at the Weikart Center.

  • tom@cypq.org

    Tom is the Managing Director of the Weikart Center.

  • joe@cypq.org

    Joe is the Manager of Field Services of the Weikart Center.

  • samantha@cypq.org

    Samantha is a Research Associate at the Weikart Center.

  • kynisha@cypq.org

    Kynisha is the Office Manager of the Weikart Center.

  • toma@cypq.org

    Tom is the Senior Manager of Development, Demonstration and Replication at the Weikart Center.

  • kri@cypq.org

    Kri is a Senior Program Associate at the Weikart Center.

  • amber@cypq.org

    Amber is a Program Assistant at the Weikart Center.

  • angelina@cypq.org

    Angelina is a Manager at the Weikart Center.

  • jerome@cypq.org

    Jerome is a Senior Program Associate for the Weikart Center.

  • trevor@cypq.org

    Trevor is a Senior Program Associate for the Weikart Center.