Kimberly Miyazawa Frank Selected as New Morgridge Innovator in Residence

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Lindsay Broyhill
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Tel: 202.721.5596
lindsay.broyhill@aspeninstitute.org

Kimberly Miyazawa Frank Selected as New Morgridge Innovator in Residence

Transformational Leader for Children and Families Selected for
Aspen Institute Residency

Washington, DC – The Aspen Institute announced Kimberly Miyazawa Frank, J.D., as the next Morgridge Family Economic Security Innovator in Residence. The Morgridge Innovator in Residence program, a one-year residency at Ascend at the Aspen Institute, was launched in September 2017 to expand the conversation around solutions for families with low incomes and advance systemic shifts, new ideas, and two-generation solutions to serve children and their families more effectively. The Morgridge Innovator in Residence serves as a powerful thought leader, policy strategist, and communicator in service of creating an intergenerational cycle of opportunity for families across our country.

“Ensuring opportunity and equity for all families is a central challenge for our country,” said Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield. “Kimberly’s rich experience leading the groundbreaking multigenerational ‘Ohana Nui initiative in Hawaii is truly exciting. The Aspen Institute is fortunate to benefit from the wisdom and expertise of leaders like Kimberly who have been immersed in making change for children and families on the ground in our states and communities.” Ascend is a leading voice in advancing practice and policy solutions for children and families at the community, state, and federal levels.

Miyazawa Frank previously served as Director of Community Development for Hawaii’s Department of Human Services (DHS), leading the implementation of Hawaii’s multigenerational approach that focuses on children, their parents and often their grandparents together, called ‘Ohana Nui. Translated from Hawaiian as ‘extended family’ and based on the national 2Gen philosophy introduced by Ascend at the Aspen Institute, DHS is radically transforming itself by establishing the principles of ‘Ohana Nui as a new foundation to more effectively support families in achieving generational self-sufficiency. Miyazawa Frank has guided the state’s Departments of Health and Human Services and community stakeholders in implementing ‘Ohana Nui into programs, policies, and philosophies.

“Kimberly has exceptional expertise bringing together business, policy and practice on behalf of children and families,” said Carrie Morgridge, Vice President at the Morgridge Family Foundation. “Her career reflects a passion and commitment to enhancing their lives; and we are  honored to continue our partnership with Ascend in this way, exploring new and transformative ways of addressing the challenges facing families living in poverty.” The Innovator in Residence is one of several signature Fellowship investments of the Morgridge Family Foundation.

‘Ohana Nui is a leading state-level adaptation of the 2Gen approach, an anti-poverty strategy, which Ascend has spearheaded at a national level. The holistic, comprehensive approach to concurrently addressing the needs of all members of a family has led the state to redesign its delivery of human services from the perspective of the families and individuals it serves, breaking down traditional program siloes, braiding together separate federal and state funding streams, and partnering across formerly impenetrable boundaries of state agencies, programs, and teams to co-design creative solutions that place whole families on a path to self-sufficiency that they can sustain.

“Kimberly embodies the spirit of ‘Ohana Nui. Her leadership experience in all three sectors of business, non-profit, and government – working both in policy and practice – has been an invaluable asset for the Department of Human Services, and we are grateful for her compassion and her leadership in bringing Hawaii’s state agencies and community partners together to meet families where they are,” said Hawaii Department of Human Services Director Pankaj Bhanot. “Through her leadership, the ‘Ohana Nui philosophy has been firmly embedded within DHS, and we are poised to expand this framework even more broadly with our community partners. I am delighted to see her join Ascend and the Aspen Institute, which have been long-term collaborators in our work, and look forward to her unique skillset and passion benefitting children and families at the national level.”

Miyazawa Frank will bring her experience in organizational transformation, process improvement, program and policy enhancement, human capital development, and community building, serving as a national leader in advancing family stability and well-being, crafting insightful thought pieces, developing tools, and helping frame and disseminate important field resources to advance practice and policy solutions for children and families with low incomes.  Prior to her role at DHS, Miyazawa Frank was Senior Vice President of Community Development for Pulama Lanai, CEO of the YWCA of Oahu, a global business consultant, and a litigation attorney. Miyazawa Frank’s full bio can be found here.

The first Morgridge Innovator in Residence, Roxane White, will transition the position to Miyazawa Frank in September 2018. White’s residency has provided a deep source of knowledge and expertise to Ascend and to the field – setting up policymakers and practitioners across the country to move the needle for children and families in the US for years to come. White, previously CEO of the Nurse-Family Partnership and Chief of Staff to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, has rich experience implementing policies and practices at the local, state, and national levels.

Ascend at the Aspen Institute is the national hub for breakthrough ideas and collaborations that move children and their parents toward educational success, economic security, and health and well-being. We embrace a commitment to racial equity and a gender lens. For more information, visit https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

The Morgridge Family Foundation’s mission is to invest in transformative gifts, making investments that transform community for individuals through non-profit partners. The Foundation was founded by John and Carrie Morgridge in 2002 to spark innovation and long lasting impact. For more information, visit http://morgridgefamilyfoundation.org.

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