Betsy Brand serves as Executive Director of the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Washington, D.C. that provides learning opportunities for policy leaders working on education and youth issues at the national, state, and local levels. With nearly four decades of experience, Ms. Brand is a leading expert in how to improve the lives of young people through education, youth, and workforce policies, specifically secondary school reform and career and technical education. She has spoken and written extensively on these issues and has testified multiple times before the U.S. Congress.
As AYPF’s Executive Director, Ms. Brand identifies best policies and practices that lead to positive outcomes for the nation’s young people. She oversees the creation of nearly 40 policy-oriented learning events annually—forums, briefings, and study tours—and the research and development of publications and policy briefs, all of which serve to inform the work of leading policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Prior to her appointment in 2004, she served as the organization’s Co-Director since 1998.
Ms. Brand has developed a deep understanding of education, youth, and workforce issues by crafting, implementing, and analyzing policy for the U.S. Congress, the U.S Department of Education, and private clients. She was previously President of Workforce Futures, Inc., where she provided clients with public policy advocacy as well as analysis and development of legislation and regulations related to education reform and workforce preparation and development.
From November 1989 to January 1993, Ms. Brand served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, where she served as primary spokesperson for the U.S. Government on issues relating to career-technical and adult education; directed the White House Task Force on Literacy; increased programmatic collaboration with the Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development; and implemented the Perkins and Adult Education Acts.
Prior to this, Ms. Brand spent thirteen years working for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, covering a wide range of legislation, including the Title I, Perkins, Adult Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education, and the Higher Education Acts.
Ms. Brand has served on multiple boards and now serves on the boards of the Latin American Youth Center and Diploma Plus. Ms. Brand received her BA from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.