Keynote speaker, DCS Commissioner Jim Henry went on to share his vision for the department and noted some of the great strides Tennessee is making in children’s health, safety and permanency. “Tennessee is one of the top states in the country on getting youth back on track to permanency”, he stated. Although Commissioner Henry has only been in his position for about 5 months he feels, “it has been a blessing being able to turn things around”. Coming to a close, he thanked all of the attendees for the work that they do stating, “You’re really making a difference in a child’s life.”
Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency’s CASA Program Director, Judy Greenwood had the honor of presenting the “Champion for Children” award to District Attorney General Randy York of the 13th Judicial District. General York is the first District Attorney in Tennessee to use the state law of allowing the seizure of assets following conviction for a sex crime against minors, where funds from the assets seized go to child abuse prevention agencies such as CASA. After accepting his award, General York indicated there are so many cases of child abuse and neglect and he is so thankful to have CASA programs in his district. Judy expressed sincere appreciation for General York and his work saying, “It is a struggle with words [to describe the impact of the funds]… they have given a breath of life into the program.”
