Budget season is upon us again which means it's time for DANA to review the Governor's Recommended Budget for fiscal year 2025.Join us as we take a deep dive into the Governor's Recommended Budget and priorities for his last year in office. We will have Director Cade from the Office of Management and Budget walk us through the Governor's priorities and recommended budget. Then, Representative Krista Griffith will share some advocacy tips from a Joint Finance Committee member for nonprofits advocating during the budget process. Finally, we will share DANA's policy agenda and hear from the National Council about some larger policy changes impacting nonprofits nationwide.
About the Speakers:
Cerron Cade (he/him)
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Cerron Cade was appointed by Governor John C. Carney Jr. in January of 2021 and confirmed by members of the 151st General Assembly. As the Director of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget and a member of Governor Carney’s Cabinet, Cerron facilitates the preparation and implementation of the Governor’s policy agenda by providing objective policy analysis and fiscal management. Under Cerron’s leadership, OMB is responsible for managing all of the state’s assets which includes facilities, land, and financial resources.
Prior to his OMB appointment, Cerron served as Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Labor since 2018, expanding access to job training and strengthening labor law enforcement throughout the state. Notably, he led Delaware’s workforce development and Unemployment Insurance programs through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the Department of Labor, he served as the Acting Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office; leading the state’s efforts to attract businesses and good-paying jobs to Delaware. During this time, he was tasked with dissolving the agency and establishing the new Delaware Division of Small Business, where he served as its first Director.
Throughout his career in public service, Cerron has worked as a Legislative Aide in the Delaware State House of Representatives, Deputy County Director for U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Projects Director for then Congressman John Carney, and Legislative Liaison for former Governor Jack Markell.
Cerron has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Delaware State University.
Krista M.Z. Griffith (she/her)State Representative for the 12th District of Delaware
Krista M.Z. Griffith is State Representative for the 12th District of Delaware, which includes neighborhoods in Wilmington, North Wilmington, Greenville, and Hockessin. She is a parent, attorney, nonprofit leader, and advocate who has dedicated her career to protecting Delaware residents and improving the lives of people of all ages. Her work has helped ensure that Delawareans, including the most vulnerable, have access to economic and educational opportunity as well as equitable treatment by the justice system.Currently, Krista serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee and is a member of the Joint Finance Committee, the budget writing committee for the General Assembly. She serves on several commissions including the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, the Child Protection Accountability Commission, the Interagency Coordinating Council for Services for Birth to Three, among others.
In addition to her state service, Krista leads the Children's Advocacy Center of Delaware where she serves as chief executive officer. The CAC of Delaware provides an array of child-focused services in a safe, child-friendly setting to assist in the assessment of and referrals to needed resources and services, and the investigation of allegations of child abuse and neglect, while ensuring the children and their families receive immediate, effective, and sensitive support.Krista served for nearly a decade as a Deputy Attorney General in the Delaware Department of Justice under the administrations of Beau Biden and Matt Denn. Krista led Attorney General Biden’s Senior Protection Initiative and was assistant unit head of the Department of Justice’s Domestic Violence and Child Abuse units. She also represented state agencies including the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families.Krista knows first-hand the healthcare challenges confronting Delaware families. When her younger son, Nate, faced a life-threatening leukemia diagnosis, Krista left the Department of Justice in 2015. She spent months at Nate’s bedside while he underwent successful cancer treatment.Krista has dedicated hundreds of hours to board leadership and community service for several nonprofit organizations in Delaware including the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware.Jessica Mendieta (she/her)Policy Associate, National Council of NonprofitsJessica Mendieta joined the National Council of Nonprofits in September 2021 as a Policy Associate. In this role, Jessica researches and develops educational content about policies that affect the nationwide network. Her experience in the nonprofit and government sectors, as well as her background in data analysis & visualization, led her to find opportunities to show trends, indicators, and policies that impact organizations and communities.Jessica has served at the Federal City Council, New York City Mayor’s Office of Resiliency, and the New York City Department of Education. Jessica holds a master’s degree from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York.David L. Thompson (he/him)Vice President of Public Policy, National Council of NonprofitsDavid L. Thompson is Vice President of Public Policy for the National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest network of nonprofit organizations. The organization is active at the local, state, and federal levels advancing nonprofit policy priorities in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Through its member state associations and nonprofit allies, the Council of Nonprofits amplifies the voices of America’s local community-based nonprofit organizations, helping them engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector, manage and lead more effectively, collaborate, and exchange solutions, and achieve greater impact in their communities.Thompson has served in all three sectors over the course of his career. He practiced law for 17 years specializing in labor relations, employment law, government contracting, and subsequently directed federal and state advocacy for a government relations firm. He served in the public sector from 2001 to 2007 as a Senior Counsel and as Policy Director to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, notably as Counsel to the Pension Protection Act conference committee. Those experiences have served him well in guiding advocacy efforts for the network of the National Council of Nonprofits. He was honored as one of the NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.David Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a law degree from the University of Georgia Law School.
DANA Members: Free
Future DANA Members: $50
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