Bonnie Braun Named
President of American Association of
Family & Consumer Sciences
(Alexandria, Va. - June 25, 2007) — Bonnie Braun,
Ph.D., CFCS, associate professor and Extension family
policy specialist, Department of Family Science, University
of Maryland School of Public Health, was named president
of the American Association of Family & Consumer
Sciences (AAFCS) at the recent AAFCS 98th Annual Conference
& Expo in Reno, Nevada. In a formal installation
ceremony, Braun and other AAFCS officers for the fiscal
year 2007-2008 were officially sworn in by Past President
Don Bower, CFCS, before an audience of nearly 900
members and other conference participants.
“As our association begins
celebrating its Centennial, we are focused on our
revised mission of leading and supporting professionals
whose work assists individuals, families, and communities
in making informed decisions about their well-being,
relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality
of life,” said Braun. “In my new office, I intend
to engage members in continuing to make a difference
both for the Association's members and greater society.”
A long-time AAFCS member
and dedicated family and consumer sciences professional,
Braun has held numerous AAFCS leadership roles at
the state and national levels. She has served as president-elect
of AAFCS, president of the Minnesota Association of
Family & Consumer Sciences, vice president for
services for the Maryland Association of Family &
Consumer Sciences, chair of the AAFCS Public Policy
Committee, chair of the AAFCS Annual Meeting Committee,
and AAFCS Chalkley-Fenn Visiting Public Policy Scholar.
AAFCS has also recognized Braun for her contributions
with the prestigious Leaders award.
Braun co-authored Family
and Community Policy: Strategies for Civic Engagement,
a book for educators and concerned citizens who want
to help families and communities, which was produced
by AAFCS and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
She also contributed to Sizing Up America,
a guide to obesity as a public policy issue, which
was produced by AAFCS and funded by the Kettering
Foundation.
At the University of
Maryland, Braun’s research focuses on helping marginalized
families, especially rural families. In 2005, she
completed a study funded by the Kettering Foundation
on engaging limited resource citizens in deliberative
public policy practices. That study grew out of a
USDA-sponsored, 17-state, longitudinal study of the
well-being of rural families. In her Extension role,
Braun has worked with Congress and state legislatures
to consider the impact of legislation on local policies
that affect families. She recently evaluated the impact
of the federal Medicare Modernization Act of 2003
and assisted legislators in determining its effect
on Maryland families.
Braun earned a bachelor’s
and master’s degree in home economics education from
Central Missouri State University and a doctoral degree
in home economics education from the University of
Missouri.
Other officers for the
2007-2008 fiscal year are Shelly M. Nickols-Richardson,
president-elect; Peggy Wild, CFCS, treasurer; Susan
S. Shockey, CFCS, director of affiliates; Kay M. Wilder,
CFCS, director-at-large; Sue Buck, CFCS, director-at-large;
M. Virginia Richards, CFCS, director-at-large; Kristin
L. Warner, Student Unit chair; Dixie R. Crase, CFCS,
past president; and Carolyn W. Jackson, ex-officio,
executive director.
About AAFCS
Founded in 1909, AAFCS is the only national not-for-profit
501 (c)(3) organization providing leadership and support
to FCS students and professionals in multiple practice
settings. FCS professionals help individuals, families,
and communities make informed decisions about their
well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve
optimal quality of life. AAFCS’ 8,000 members are
elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators,
researchers, and administrators; Cooperative Extension
educators; and other professionals in business and
industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government.
With national headquarters based in Alexandria, Va.,
AAFCS has 52 affiliates located across the United
States and Puerto Rico.
Interviews/Quotes
For more information or to schedule an interview,
contact Gwynn Mason at 703-706-4600, ext. 4621, or
gmason@aafcs.org.
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