Leadership

Debbie A. Powell, Acting Associate Commissioner

Photograph of Acting Associate Director Debbie Powell.Debbie Powell is the Acting Associate Commissioner of FYSB, where she advises the Commissioner of ACYF on family and youth issues. Before coming to FYSB, Powell held senior leadership positions for more than 20 years in grants management and the management of federal programs that serve low-income families.

Most recently, Powell was the Director of Technical Assistance at the Child Care Bureau, Office of Family Assistance, providing leadership and vision to a network of federal and contractor staff designing technical assistance and professional development services targeted to meet the needs of state, territory and tribal administrators for the Child Care Development Fund Block Grant.

As the former director for the Office of Discretionary Grants at the Office of Community Services, ACF, Ms. Powell provided leadership for the discretionary community-based grant programs focused on economic development support for low-income neighborhoods and individuals through the Community Economic Development Program, the Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals Program, the National Youth Sports Program, and the Rural Community Facilities Program.

Powell has also held leadership positions at the Food and Drug Administration, the Indian Health Service, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.