Dr. William C. Bell, Casey Family Programs’ president and CEO, honored by Mississippi legislature
Casey Family Programs’ president and CEO, Dr. William C. Bell, a Mississippi native, was honored March 28 by the Mississippi legislature with a joint resolution recognizing his public service and leadership accomplishments.
Sen. Derrick Simmons sponsored the resolution and shared it on the Senate floor, with Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves on hand. Dr. Bell then met with Gov. Phil Bryant in a private reception before being recognized in the House.
The resolution reads in part: “It is with great pride that we pay tribute to a most public-spirited citizen of Mississippi with enormous civic energy, who has brought honor to his university and state.”
Dr. Bell, who has more than 35 years of experience in the human services, has been president and CEO of Casey Family Programs since 2006. The foundation was established in 1966 by UPS founder Jim Casey to fill a critical need to ensure that our nation’s most vulnerable children have safe, stable families who can provide the support needed to succeed in life.
Born and raised in Pace, Mississippi, Dr. Bell graduated from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, with a bachelor’s degree in biology and behavioral science. He holds a Ph.D. in social welfare from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work.
“As a native son of Mississippi, I am deeply honored to receive this recognition, and I thank the many leaders in Mississippi who are working toward a brighter and more hopeful future for children and families there,” said Dr. Bell. “There are nearly 428,000 youth in foster care in this country, and the evidence is clear that children do best when they’re in strong families surrounded by supportive communities.”
Dr. Bell previously served as Casey’s executive vice president for Child and Family Services. Prior to joining Casey Family Programs, he served as Commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, which included child protection, foster care, day care and more, with a $2.4 billion budget and a staff of more than 7,000.
Dr. Bell serves on numerous boards, including those of United Way of King County, Philanthropy Northwest, the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, Delta State University Foundation and the Campaign for Black Male Achievement. He has received multiple awards and honors, including the Special Contribution to the Judiciary Award from the King County Washington Women Lawyers for his service to children and families and the Lifetime of Service Award from City Year Seattle/King County.